How Selena Gomez’s Personal Battle With Disease Became a Public Health Issue

The Rise of Selena Gomez: A Personal Battle With Disease Becomes a Public Health Issue

Selena Gomez is a well-known pop sensation who has captured the hearts of millions of fans. Throughout her rise to fame, she’s also become an advocate for mental health awareness and a champion for those who suffer from autoimmune diseases. Her personal battle with lupus has highlighted how the media, public figures, and disease can intersect. Here’s a closer look at how Selena Gomez’s experience has turned into a public health issue.

What is Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body, including the skin, joints, and internal organs. It occurs when the immune system attacks healthy tissue, leading to inflammation, swelling, and damage. The symptoms of lupus can range from mild to severe, and can be challenging to diagnose.

Selena Gomez’s Experience with Lupus

In 2015, Selena Gomez shared that she had been diagnosed with lupus, which was responsible for her kidney failure. Subsequent therapies and treatments led to a hiatus in her music career as she focused on her health. She underwent a kidney transplant that came from her close friend Francia Raisa. Her fight with the disease saw her take a proactive step by creating the Lupus Research Alliance to raise awareness and funds for research into the disease.

Lupus and Disability

Lupus, like many other autoimmune diseases, can lead to debilitating symptoms that can limit a person’s ability to work or carry out day-to-day activities. Unfortunately, access to disability benefits for those living with autoimmune diseases is often challenging. In the United States, access to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits requires an individual to have a severe impairment that will last at least 12 months or result in death. Lupus fulfillment of this definition can be difficult.

How Selena Gomez’s Experience Becomes a Public Health Issue

Selena Gomez’s personal journey with lupus put a spotlight on the disease, spotlighting the role of the media. The widespread attention that Gomez received has helped normalise life with the disease, raise awareness, and generate charitable donations for research.

It has also highlighted an opportunity for wider conversations concerning disability access and unemployment rights. Many advocates and experts suggest we examine the experience of people with autoimmune diseases and highlight the difficulties they face in accessing support.

Conclusion

Selena Gomez’s battle with lupus represents a unique case in the intersection between personal struggle and public advocacy. The awareness and access to funding that comes from high-profile diagnoses allow health professionals and researchers to study and better understand diseases like lupus. However, it also opens up discussions about disability rights and awareness, and the role that media and celebrities can play in helping to raise awareness and funds for research to help people living with these illnesses.

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