Lupus Symposium to Focus on Reproductive Health

Reproductive health is the focus for this year’s Lupus Symposium, which will take place on Sunday (Oct. 23) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus beginning at 9:30 am. 

The session will discuss effective pregnancy planning and management for women with the autoimmune disease. 

Keynote speaker will be clinical rheumatologist and Associate Professor at Duke University’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Megan Clowse, who is  an internationally recognised expert in the management of pregnancy with lupus. 

“We will be talking about pregnancy with lupus, fertility issues and speaking about men with lupus and their reproductive health,” said President of the Lupus Foundation of Jamaica (LFJ), Dr. Desiree Tulloch-Reid. 

She noted that reproductive health and lupus is a sensitive but important topic as there are complications for pregnant women and the unborn child. 

The symposium, organised by the LFJ, is one of several key events for Lupus Awareness Month in October under the theme: ‘Level Up! This is Lupus.’ 

The annual event aims to increase understanding about lupus and provide best practices in treating the disease. Each year, the symposium is attended by health practitioners, as well as patients and members of the public.  

This year’s event is sponsored by the National Health Fund (NHF), Wisynco Group, Ipca Laboratories and Cocreate Limited. It is free of charge and open to members of the public. 

Persons are required to register for face-to face-attendance or view the event live on the Foundation’s Facebook and YouTube pages.  

Dr. Tulloch-Reid noted that the annual symposium continues to bring together health professionals, patients, families and “all stakeholders in a shared learning environment.” 

“We are committed, not only to strengthening the knowledge and capacity of health professionals to offer the best care to persons with lupus, but also to make sure that the voice of the patient is heard, and that their lives and goals are kept at the centre of the conversation,” she said. 

The Lupus Foundation of Jamaica is a member-based, volunteer-run charity in operation since 1984, dedicated to improving the lives and outcomes of persons with lupus through information, support, advocacy, and research.  

Lupus is a disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs.  It can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. 

While there is no cure for the disease,  it can be managed successfully through early diagnosis and expert medical care.