A look back at RA Awareness Week 2024 | #STOPtheStereotype

Blog by Eleanor Burfitt

The campaign logo for #STOPtheStereotype.

This year for RA Awareness Week 2024, our aim was to #STOPtheStereotype – highlighting the misconceptions that people who live with RA hear on a daily basis. We set up a new #STOPtheStereotype quiz for people to test these statements and guess if they were true or false – and many people were surprised by the result they got!

We asked our RA community to share the stereotype that they hear the most – and we had an influx of comments. Here are some of them that we were told:

  • “You are too young for that.”
  • “You should try this diet that I have heard will help with that.”
  • “Oh I have Arthritis too in my knee.”
  • “If you are fatigued maybe try getting an early night?”
  • “Do a bit more exercise and you will loosen up!”
  • “It must be the cold weather that is affecting you.”
  • “Its only arthritis – we all get it eventually.”
  • “Have you had some paracetamol?”
  • “You look fine today what can be the problem?”
  • “My nan has that in her knee!”

There is still more work to be done to raise awareness of this hidden invisible condition, and the #STOPtheStereotype can be a way to help educate those around you. We also have four videos from our community, telling their story on their diagnosis and how they live with the condition. Why not try out the quiz and watch the videos today?

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