Today, October 29th, is World Psoriasis Day, sponsored by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations.  Here in the US, the National Psoriasis Foundation has created a special website – WorldofPsoriasis.com – for the occasion that illustrates the global nature of this chronic autoimmune disease, which affects 125 million people worldwide or nearly three percent of the world’s population.

Now those living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis can “get on the map” by adding a clickable pin for their location that shares their personal stories and photos.  The goal is to get psoriasis patients everywhere to proclaim “I have psoriasis” while also learning about others like them around the globe, such as Arvin O. Ravalo from the Phillipines, Saraswati Gautham from Nepal and Dr. Andres Felipe Jiminez Morales from Columbia.

What are the physical and emotional challenges of psoriasis?  Earlier this year, PatientsLikeMe interviewed four members who are blogging about life with psoriasis in order to shed light on this highly visible and often misunderstood disease, which affects as many as 7.5 million Americans and is the most common autoimmune condition in the US.  Check out our insightful interviews with:

• Lissa of “Psoriasis Girl’s Point of View”
• Alisha of “Being Me in My Own Skin”
• Jessica of “Jessica and Psoriasis”
• Joni of “Just a Girl with Spots”

These four brave ladies are just the tip of the iceberg, however.  2,470+ patients are sharing their experiences with psoriasis at PatientsLikeMe – including how it affects their quality of life and what percentage of their body is affected – while 840+ patients are sharing about their psoriatic arthritis as well.  Get to know our growing psoriasis community and check out the results of our recent psoriasis patient survey about the impact of summer weather.  Also, don’t miss our upcoming blog post about the five different types of psoriasis!

Did you know that psoriasis cannot be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact – or any other type of interaction?

August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, an annual event dedicated to highlighting the life-altering impact of psoriasis and dispelling the many myths surrounding it.  Beyond the misperception that it may be contagious, another major misunderstanding is that psoriasis is “just a skin condition.”  In fact, up 30% of people with this serious autoimmune disease will develop psoriatic arthritis, which can cause chronic pain and swelling in the joints.

Throughout 2012, PatientsLikeMe has been interviewing members who are blogging about life with psoriasis in order to shed light on this highly visible and often stigmatized disease, which affects as many as 7.5 million Americans and is the most common autoimmune condition in the US.  How have they managed both the physical and emotional challenges?  Check out our inspiring interviews with:

• Lissa of “Psoriasis Girl’s Point of View”
• Alisha of “Being Me in My Own Skin”
• Jessica of “Jessica and Psoriasis”
• Joni of “Just a Girl with Spots”

These four brave ladies are just the tip of the iceberg, however.  1,820 patients are sharing their experiences with psoriasis at PatientsLikeMe, while 730 patients are sharing about their psoriatic arthritis as well.  Get to know our growing psoriasis community and stay tuned for more psoriasis coverage – including the results of our new psoriasis patient survey and a recap of our exhibition at the American Academy of Dermatology Summer Meeting.