You can’t catch lupus from another person, and lupus isn’t related to AIDS.

The cause of lupus is not known. More than one factor is likely to play a role in getting lupus. Researchers are looking at these factors:

• Environment – Sunlight, stress, certain medications, and viruses might trigger symptoms in people who are prone to getting lupus.
• Hormones – Lupus is more common in women during childbearing years.
• Problems with the immune system.

For more information on lupus, call the womenshealth.gov Call Center at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:

Lupus Alliance of America
3871 Harlem Road
Buffalo, NY 14215
Email: info@lupusalliance.org
Website: www.lupusalliance.org
Telephone: 866-415-8787

Lupus Foundation of America
2000 L Street, N.W.
Suite 710
Washington, DC 20036
Email: info@lupus.org
Website: www.lupus.org
Telephone: 202-349-1155 or 800-558-0121
Fax: 202-349-1156

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association
22100 Gratiot Avenue
Eastpointe
East Detroit, MI 48201-2227
Email: aarda@aarda.org
Website: www.aarda.org
Telephone: 586-776-3900 or 800-598-4668
Fax: 586-776-3903

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institutes of Health, DHHS
31 Center Dr., Rm. 4C02 MSC 2350
Bethesda, MD 20892-2350
Email: NIAMSinfo@mail.nih.gov
Website: www.niams.nih.gov
Telephone: 301-496-8190 or 877-22-NIAMS (226-4267)

Alliance for Lupus Research
28 West 44th Street, Suite 501
New York, NY 10036
Telephone: 212-218-2840 or 800-867-1743
Website: www.lupusresearch.org/

American College of Rheumatology (ACR)
1800 Century Place, Suite 250
Atlanta, GA 30345-4300
Telephone: 404-633-3777
Fax: 404-633-1870
Website: www.rheumatology.org

Arthritis Foundation
P.O. Box 7669
Atlanta, GA 30357-0669
Telephone: 404-872-7100 or 800-283-7800
Website: www.arthritis.org

S.L.E. Lupus Foundation
330 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1701
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 212-685-4118 or 800-745-8787
Fax: 212-545-1843
Email: lupus@lupusny.org
Website: www.lupusny.org

Lupus Clinical Trials Consortium, Inc. (LCTC)
142 West 57th Street, Suite 15A
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: 212-593-7227
Fax: 212-593-3133
Email: info@lupus-consortium.org
Website: www.lupusclinicaltrials.org

Lupus Research Institute
330 Seventh Ave, Suite 1701
New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 212-812-9881
Fax: 212-545-1843
Email: Lupus@LupusNY.org
Website: www.lupusresearchinstitute.org

Rheuminations, Inc.
142 West 57th Street, Suite 15A
New York, NY 10019
Telephone: 212-593-5180
Fax: 212-803-0059
Website: www.dxlupus.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Telephone: 301-592-573
Website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Telephone: 800-352-9424
Website: www.ninds.nih.gov

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
Telephone: 800-891-5390
Website: kidney.niddk.nih.gov

National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus
Website: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lupus.html

Source: www.ninds.nih.gov – February 2007, www.womenshealth.gov – March 2009