GSK announces new events in the "Us in Lupus" campaign to reach women of color

Issued: Philadelphia, PA

Today, GSK announced new events across communities in the U.S. to reach women of color living with lupus. The initiative is designed to complement the virtual Us in Lupus program, a 12-week online education program and community for people newly diagnosed with lupus. Of the 1.5 million people living with lupus, 90% of patients are women and women of color are 2-3 times more likely to develop lupus[1].

GSK is pleased to bring ‘Night of Beauty’ events to women of color with lupus, their families and their caregivers at local Sephora stores in Dallas on October 29 and Los Angeles on November 14. Night of Beauty events deliver education and self-care tips in a fun and inspiring environment. Local lupus warriors can speak with health experts, learn about self-care through custom makeup consultations, and connect with local resources, such as chapters of patient advocacy organizations, and fellow women living with lupus. The upcoming events follow highly successful Night of Beauty events in Atlanta; Washington, DC; Philadelphia; and Chicago.

“One of our goals as a leading healthcare company is to reduce healthcare disparities,” says Carla Pearson, VP, US Specialty Marketing at GSK. “The Night of Beauty concept was born out of a desire to provide women of color with education and tools to advocate for themselves with their healthcare team, and to help them feel more confident in doing so.”

Recent GSK research revealed that individuals living with lupus sought more information on nutrition, hair loss, skin and scalp issues, and overall mental health and well-being. Respondents who identified as people of color, however, wanted this information tailored to their needs. People living with lupus suffer more than physicians may perceive during the clinical visit, as people often report difficulty communicating their symptoms to their doctor[2]. By taking the Us in Lupus program on the road with health and beauty experts, GSK, alongside physicians and other health experts, is able to reach women of color in their own communities and provide them with personalized self-care education and services.

“Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can affect any organ of the body including the skin,” says Dr. Donald Thomas a board-certified Rheumatologist and founder of The Lupus Encyclopedia Facebook Page. “We need to find more ways to raise awareness of this relatively unknown disease in the U.S., for which there is no cure and disproportionately affects women of color.”

The Night of Beauty events are part of a larger campaign that includes four pillars: Self-Care, Mindfulness, Nourishment, and Fitness & Exercise designed to empower people living with lupus to have more honest and open conversations with their healthcare professionals. Earlier this year, GSK held “Nourish” in St. Louis to discuss the importance of nutrition in maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. Next year, the campaign will also focus on increasing mindfulness for individuals living with lupus. 

To learn more about UsinLupus and receive helpful resources including a lupus symptom reference kit, an appointment tracker and other tools, please visit UsinLupus.com or follow the Facebook and Instagram pages to hear from and connect with other Lupus Warriors.

Us in Lupus - an education and support program for those living with lupus designed to provide individuals with the skills, tools and confidence they need to help them manage their condition and facilitate better dialogue with health care providers. To date, the program has served more than 130,000 people living with lupus. For more information and helpful resources such as a symptom journal, appointment trackers, and an app to empower people living with lupus to share their symptoms with their support team, please visit www.usinlupus.com.

GSK – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit www.gsk.com.

[1] https://www.lupus.org/resources/lupus-facts-and-statistics

[2] GSK. (2015, May 10). Survey finds lupus patients suffer more than physicians perceive [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survey-finds-lupus-patients-suffer-more-than-physicians-perceive-300080586.html