H.C.R. 9

1

LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 2011 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Tim M. Cosgrove
5 Senate Sponsor: Patricia W. Jones
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor designates May 2011 as
10 Lupus Awareness Month in the state of Utah.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 . designates May 2011 as Lupus Awareness Month in the state of Utah and urges the
14 citizens of the state to observe this month by educating themselves on the symptoms
15 and impact of lupus and to join with the Utah Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of
16 America in supporting programs of research, education, and community service.
17 Special Clauses:
18 None
19
20 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
21 WHEREAS, each year, the Lupus Foundation of America designates May as National
22 Lupus Awareness Month to show support for the estimated 2,000,000 Americans who have
23 Lupus;
24 WHEREAS, researchers estimate that 5,000,000 people have been diagnosed with
25 lupus or related diseases throughout the world, and that approximately 100,000 are diagnosed
26 every year including 16,000 Americans;
27 WHEREAS, more people have lupus than AIDS, cerebral palsy, sickle cell anemia, and

28 cystic fibrosis combined;
29 WHEREAS, lupus is an acute and chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune
30 system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually every organ system
31 in the body;
32 WHEREAS, the course of the disease is unpredictable, and no two patients are alike;
33 WHEREAS, while lupus strikes mostly women of childbearing age, no one is safe from
34 the disease;
35 WHEREAS, lupus can affect any part of the body, including the skin, lungs, heart,
36 kidneys, and brain;
37 WHEREAS, common symptoms are extreme fatigue, painful or swollen joints,
38 unexplained fever, skin rashes, and kidney problems;
39 WHEREAS, the disease can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages, and
40 organ failure;
41 WHEREAS, lupus varies in severity from mild cases requiring minimal intervention to
42 those in which significant and potentially fatal damage can occur to the body's vital organs;
43 WHEREAS, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans are more
44 likely to develop lupus, a disparity that remains unexplained;
45 WHEREAS, lupus can be particularly difficult to diagnose since its symptoms are
46 similar to those of many other illnesses;
47 WHEREAS, major gaps exist in understanding the causes and consequences of lupus;
48 WHEREAS, more than half of all people with lupus take four or more years and visit
49 three or more doctors before obtaining a correct diagnosis;
50 WHEREAS, only 50% of lupus patients lived four years after diagnosis in the 1950s;
51 WHEREAS, currently between 80% and 90% of lupus patients survive 10 years after
52 diagnosis;
53 WHEREAS, lupus deaths have increased 61% since 1980;
54 WHEREAS, 90% of those who are diagnosed live a normal life with the appropriate
55 treatments;
56 WHEREAS, there have been no new drugs approved by the United States Food and
57 Drug Administration specifically for lupus in 52 years;
58 WHEREAS, early diagnosis and proper treatments are critical to improving the quality

59 of life and survival rate of lupus sufferers;
60 WHEREAS, current treatments for the disease can have damaging side effects;
61 WHEREAS, an estimated 13,156 Utahns live with this disease; and
62 WHEREAS, increased public awareness, education, and research are key to winning the
63 battle against lupus:
64 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
65 Governor concurring therein, designate May 2011 as Lupus Awareness Month in the state of
66 Utah and urge the citizens of the state to observe this month by educating themselves on the
67 symptoms and impact of lupus and to join with the Utah Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of
68 America in supporting programs of research, education, and community service.
69 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah
70 Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, the Lupus Foundation of America, and to the
71 Utah Department of Health.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-7-11 2:36 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel