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Pennsylvania mom works to end psoriasis stigma, raise awareness

By
Stephanie Stahl
Stephanie Stahl
Stephanie Stahl is an Emmy Award-winning health reporter. She can be seen daily on CBS News Philadelphia and Philly57.
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Stephanie Stahl

/ CBS Philadelphia

People living with psoriasis, a common skin condition, often feel isolated and embarrassed, according to new research. Now doctors and patients are hoping to and take away the stigma.

Doctors say psoriasis is not contagious, but many people falsely think it is. And it doesn't just affect the skin.

Kelli Amerine has psoriatic arthritis that causes achy joints.

"I've had to stop work several times because as it manifests more and more, you know, losing the ability to use your hands," Amerine said. 

She also suffers from severe knee pain, which interferes with family activities like hiking and skiing.

"My greatest fear is I lose that mobility and life goes on without me and I'm not part of it," Amerine said.

The West Chester mom says it started with psoriasis, a related chronic skin condition that causes scaly white patches. 

"Nobody wants to touch your hands," she said. "And it hurts. It's painful."

New research from the found widespread social stigma about the condition.

Penn Medicine dermatologist Dr. Joel Gelfand said psoriasis isn't contagious, but people with the condition are often shunned.

"Roughly a third of people that we surveyed in this study felt that psoriasis is probably contagious, that they wouldn't want this person marrying into their family, that they wouldn't want to shake hands with a person," Gelfand said.

"One of every three people is going to look at you with a view of disgust or rejection," Gelfand said. "And that's very hard for people who live with this disease."

Amerine said her symptoms are now controlled with medications, but when the patches were visible, she noticed people keeping their distance.

"It makes me sad that … there's not more awareness about psoriatic disease out there," she said. 

Amerine is working to get the word out that psoriasis is nothing to fear.

The new research estimates about 600,000 adults in the United States have undiagnosed psoriasis, which can be effectively treated. 

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