Hidden impacts of lupus on mental health, intimacy, and reproductive health

May is Lupus Awareness Month in Canada, an important opportunity to raise awareness about the realities of living with lupus and the need for more comprehensive, patient-centred care. As part of ACE’s special Lupus Awareness Month programming, Arthritis at Home is featuring programming that elevate patient experiences and highlight important gaps in lupus care.In this episode of Arthritis at Home, Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) speaks with Ms. Ellen Wang, ACE’s Programs Coordinator and PhD candidate at Arthritis Research Canada, about the important findings from Part 2 of ACE’s National Survey on Lupus in Canada. The conversation explores how lupus affects areas of life that are often overlooked in healthcare conversations, including mental health, pregnancy and family planning, relationships, intimacy, confidence, and emotional wellbeing.During the interview, Ellen discusses why these issues can be difficult for patients and health care providers to talk about openly, and why more comprehensive, patient-centred lupus care is urgently needed in Canada. The episode also highlights the importance of creating safe spaces where people living with lupus feel comfortable discussing the full impact of the disease on their lives.Additional learning resources Arthritis Consumer Experts’ National Survey on Lupus Report: Part OneArthritis Consumer Experts’ National Survey on Lupus Report: Part Two