On Oct. 24, 1988, the first lupus awareness observance which occurred in 1977 was moved to October in 1988. The first month-long observance occurred when President Reagan signed Public Law 99-365, designating October 1988 as Lupus Awareness Month.

Lupus is a chronic disease in which there is always the potential threat of serious illness and disability. The disease can occur in men, but women in their childbearing years are the majority of its victims. Minorities, especially blacks, are particularly vulnerable; lupus is three times more prevalent in black women than in white women.

Ordinarily, the immune system protects against infection by producing antibodies that successfully combat foreign substances. In people with lupus, the immune system produces abnormal antibodies that react harmfully against the individual’s own tissues.

To combat lupus, we need new research findings and new approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Scientists in biology, biochemistry, immunology, genetics, and other fields are seeking to understand its causes and disease processes to develop better means of detection, treatment, and prevention. If this work is to continue, and if we are to take advantage of the knowledge we have already gained, public awareness of lupus and of the importance of continuing scientific research on this disease is critical. The Federal Government and private health organizations are working together to promote awareness of lupus and research on it. This collaboration ultimately will conquer this significant public health problem.

he Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 303, has designated the month of October 1988 as “National Lupus Awareness Month” and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of the event.