FL S1588

Designates May 2015 as "Lupus Awareness Month" in Florida in recognition of the Lupus Foundation of America's awareness campaign

Acknowledges approximately 1.5 million Americans and 100,000 Floridians have lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease causing inflammation and tissue damage to multiple organ systems

Notes lupus can affect skin, lungs, heart, kidneys, and brain, potentially leading to seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages, and organ failure

Highlights that African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians, and that diagnosis typically requires four or more years and three or more doctor visits

Points out only one new lupus-specific drug has been FDA-approved in more than 50 years, and current treatments can have damaging side effects