(BPT) – Living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), can be extremely frustrating to people living with the conditions and significantly affect their quality of life.
Moreover, the 1.6 million Americans that live with IBD often feel misunderstood by friends and family members who often minimalize their conditions, as well as offer medical guidance based on their preconceived notions.
People living with IBD express that life with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease can be challenging – particularly when they have to run to the bathroom in the middle of a work meeting or dinner date. Friends and family often tell them that they look healthy and should give themselves a cheat day to eat the foods they used to love.
World IBD Day is observed on May 19 every year, and Crohn’s and UC are the two most common kinds of IBD. During the last 20 years, an increasing number of people have been diagnosed with IBD, which is a serious, chronic digestive disease with no cure, no recognized cause, and a lack of awareness of the pain and suffering that people living with IBD endure. World IBD Day creates awareness of the struggles of such people.
Central to this mission, Janssen Pharmaceuticals recently launched Together, We Know IBD, a campaign designed to break through the misconceptions surrounding IBD, as well as motivate people living with the condition and Health Care Providers (HCPs) to talk about their condition, continued research in the field and treatment options on the horizon.
Together, We Know IBD personifies common situations that people with IBD encounter from friends and family who don’t fully understand this disease. The campaign’s caricatures of “the uninformed” is the initial focal point of the campaign, intending to evoke a strong emotional reaction from people with IBD that deeply empathizes with their day-to-day struggles.
The Together, We Know IBD website is a vital resource to help raise awareness and education of Janssen’s IBD clinical trials and support conversations between doctors and people living with IBD about potential participation in active clinical trials.
Between the triggers, the carousel of medications, and the fatigue, those living with IBD have a lot to deal with, and most people just don’t know about IBD. Janssen does know IBD and appreciates that better treatment options start with clinical research. Together with leading HCPs and people affected by the condition, Janssen hopes to advance the science of IBD treatment so that one day, long-lasting remission can be a possibility.
Remember: Together, We Can Drive Research; Together, We Know IBD.
To learn more about the Together, We Know IBD Campaign visit: www.weknowibd.com