Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

October marks Lupus Awareness month. Around one in 600 Australians are currently diagnosed with lupus, although this autoimmune disease, where onset begins anywhere from the age of 15 to 45, is believed to be significantly underdiagnosed. The disease predominantly affects women, with more than 90 per cent of diagnosed cases occurring in women. The nature of the condition means that diagnosis can be challenging and often take many years.

After many years of having mystery inflammatory symptoms myself, I was diagnosed with lupus a few years ago. Like many sufferers, I frequently have symptoms such as extreme fatigue, painful or swollen joints, unexplained fever, skin rashes and eye inflammation, particularly during times of stress.

A common misconception about lupus is that it is a form of arthritis. It can in fact damage any organ or tissue, from the skin or joints to the heart, blood vessels and kidneys. The exact cause is not known; nor is there a known cure.

Lupus Australia, a not-for-profit organisation, provides care and services to lupus patients across a number of states and delivers ongoing education, awareness, support and counselling services, providing comfort and hope to those living with lupus. I'm committed to working with Minister Hunt to try to find a pathway to future funding for lupus research and to support improved quality-of-life measures for lupus patients across the country and the services that support them.