July is one of my favorite months, and it’s not just because T’s birthday is the 15th.
It’s because it’s JA Awareness Month!
According to the Arthritis Foundation, there are six main types of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA): Oligoarthritis (4 or fewer joints affected), Polyarthritis (5 or more joint affected), Systemic, Enthesitis-Related, Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis or Undifferentiated. There are also additional types of Juvenile Arthritis that also commonly occur in adults such as fibromyalgia, lupus, MCTD, and more.
We all know that illness can be hard to bear, but this is especially true in childhood. Often, we get upset that we cannot function as another child may, even resorting to thinking that everyone has this pain but we just super suck at handling it.
The elimination of self-esteem in illness is so real… which is definitely why, for adults, we have Chronic Sex now.
Speaking of: Are you heading to either of the Juvenile Arthritis Conferences put on by the Arthritis Foundation this year? I’ll be at both and would LOVE to see you! If you are in the young adult age range (18+ with arthritis), please note that I will be presenting along with some pals on relationships and sex in a closed-door session taking place during the final time slot on the Saturday of each conference. Come talk sex with us!