Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, causing hair loss, often in small round patches on the scalp. It can also affect the eyebrows, eyelashes, and other hair-bearing areas of the body. Because the skin is so visible and important to the body’s physiological function, skin diseases can impact a person’s physical and mental well-being and carry a large public health burden, despite their relative understudy. In the United States, an estimated 700,000 people have alopecia areata, and this disease affects women differently than men. In women, alopecia areata tends to have a different clinical presentation, can be onset by hormone-driven life stages such as pregnancy, and has increased disease burden and more severe health outcomes.
Alopecia Areata is part of the SWHR Autoimmune Network, which engages the following focus areas: Autoimmune Diseases, Alopecia Areata, Atopic Dermatitis, Lupus, and Psoriatic Arthritis.
Fact Sheets
This policy brief demonstrates how federal agencies are contributing to improved health and health care for women across the lifespan...
Fact Sheets
This policy brief reviews how the exclusion of any population from autoimmune clinical trials limits our understanding of these diseases...
Fact Sheets
This policy brief discusses the state of autoimmune disease research funding and highlight how robust and sustained for this research...
Fact Sheets
This policy brief highlights how certain coverage policies, such as prior authorization and step therapy, can affect women and their...
While it is unclear what makes someone more at risk for an autoimmune disease, constructs, such as race and ethnicity, and social determinants of health, including education level, income, and other socioeconomic measures, are known to have an impact on health outcomes.
SWHR attended MichBIO 2023 and gave the presentation “Addressing Disparities Through Patient, Provider, and Policymaker Collaborations: Women’s Health and Autoimmune Disease Case Study.”
To bring attention to these disparities and help support individuals impacted by lupus, SWHR added lupus to the Women’s Health Equity Initiative campaign this May, in recognition of Lupus Awareness Month.
This Lupus Awareness Month, SWHR is reflecting on the need for urgent action to close the gender, race, and ethnic disparities in lupus outcomes.
Alopecia Areata – Alzheimer’s Disease – Atopic Dermatitis – Autoimmune Diseases – Bone Health – Diagnostics – Endometriosis – Expanded Carrier Screening – Eye Health – Fertility – Heart Health – HPV & Related Diseases – Liver Health – Lupus – Maternal and Infant Health Disparities – Menopause – Migraine – Narcolepsy – Noninvasive Prenatal Screening – Obesity – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – Psoriatic Arthritis – Sleep Health – Urology – Uterine Fibroids – Vaccines
