Young Women's Arthritis Support Group (YWASG)

13/08/2026

Reduced your work hours because of your arthritis?

These decisions rarely make it into any conversation. They happen quietly, weighed up alone, and then life just continues around them.

Monash University, in collaboration with Arthritis Australia, is inviting people living with arthritis to take part in a survey exploring how arthritis impacts everyday work - from paid jobs to unpaid roles like caring, household tasks, and volunteering. It's a chance to share those real trade-offs, gently and anonymously.

10-15 minutes. 18+ Australian resident. Living with arthritis.
👉https://monashred.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cxb2GV3wOoJqymW

02/08/2026

What are your challenges with seeing a medical specialist in Australia? Here’s your chance to tell Parliament about your experiences.

30/07/2026

Do you live with any form of axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), including ankylosing spondylitis(AS)?

Researchers at Deakin University invite you to participate in their study, which seeks to understand how these conditions affect your daily activities, relationships, and support needs.

Who can take part?
Those who are:
- Aged 18 years and over
- Have a diagnosis of axSpA/AS
- Able to complete the survey in English
- Have access to the internet & a device (computer, tablet,
smartphone).

Participation involves:
1. An anonymous 10-minute online survey
2. An optional 45-60 minute online or telephone follow-up interview (Australian residents only).

Participation may involve discussing experiences of living with AS, which some people may find emotionally challenging. Further information is provided in the Plain Language Statement.

Participation is voluntary. If you choose not to take part, it will
have no effect on your treatment or relationship with Deakin University.

Interested?
Scan the QR code in the image below or go to
https://researchsurveys.deakin.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_9nriHd4tzSyRDkG
This study has received Deakin University ethics approval. (reference number: 2026/HE000579)

For more information, contact A/Prof Danielle Hitch. (03) 5227 8642.
[email protected]

23/07/2026

Today is World Sjogren's Day?

Sjogren's Disease is an autoimmune conditions that is closely related to RA and other forms of autoimmune arthritis.

Learn more about this condition at Sjögren’s Australia.

It's World Sjögren's Day.

For many Australians living with Sjögren's, the journey to diagnosis is long, confusing and often lonely.

That was Gavin's experience.

After facing the challenges of diagnosis and discovering there was no dedicated national organisation to turn to, Gavin decided something had to change. That decision led to the creation of Sjögren's Australia, a patient-led charity dedicated to ensuring no one has to navigate this disease alone.

Today, we're sharing Gavin's personal story. Like so many others living with Sjögren's, he knows first-hand how invisible symptoms like fatigue, pain and dryness can completely change a person's life, even when no one else can see them.

His message to those newly diagnosed is simple: you don't have to do this alone.

For the first time, Australians living with Sjögren's have a dedicated organisation providing education, support, advocacy and hope for the future.

This World Sjögren's Day, we're asking you to help us shine a light on a disease that affects around 1 in 300 Australians, yet remains widely misunderstood.

To everyone living with Sjögren's: we see you, we hear you, and we're here for you.

Together, we can improve awareness, accelerate research and ensure every Australian diagnosed with Sjögren's has somewhere to turn.

Learn more or support our mission at www.sjogrensaustralia.com.au

18/07/2026

Want to listen to Prof Eric Morand, Director of Rheumatology at Monash Health, explain what CAR-T cell therapy is and how it can be used to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases?

Thanks to our friends at My Flare Up (formerly Dragon Claw), you can join this online event for free.

Follow the link below for details on how to register.

18/07/2026

Hi Victorians, do you know (or are you) a young person living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or a related rheumatic condition?

If so, the Arthritis Foundation Australia (JAFA) invites you to their free upcoming consumer conference.

This is a special and rare opportunity for families from Victoria and surrounds to hear from a range of leading specialist clinicians and researchers, while meeting and mixing with others experiencing the same challenges.

You can register by scanning the QR code on the flyer below or going to [email protected].

For enquiries, contact them at [email protected]

08/07/2026

Does the cold affect your arthritis in your hands and fingers? Check out this helpful article from The Arthritis Movement.

If you have arthritis in your hands and/or fingers, colder weather can trigger a flare in symptoms.

This article, covering arthritis in this specific part of the body, is one of the common entry points for visitors to our website.

As so many people are searching for information on hand arthritis, and as the weather has now well and truly cooled, we thought we would share it again here.

We cover:
✅the first signs of arthritis in fingers
✅exercises that can help
✅how to manage hand arthritis
✅common symptoms
✅the different types of arthritis that can impacts the hands

To read more go to https://www.arthritis.org.au/arthritis/arthritis-insights/caring-for-your-joints/hands-and-arthritis/

08/07/2026

If you live with Sjogren's Disease, you might like to attend the Virtual Sjogren's Summit.

See the post below from Sjögren’s Australia for more details.

We've got something exciting to share.

This year, Sjögrens Australia is presenting at the Virtual Sjögren's Summit, and we'd love to see lots of Australians there.

The summit is completely free to join and brings together researchers, specialists and people living with Sjögren's from all over the world. There are heaps of sessions covering research, treatment, managing symptoms and what's happening in the Sjögren's space.

The only catch for us Aussies is that it's run on US time, so a lot of the live sessions happen in the middle of the night or really early in the morning.

If you know you won't be able to watch live, there's also an optional All Access Pass that lets you watch the recordings whenever it suits you.

If you're thinking about getting the pass, we'd really appreciate you using our link below. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help support the work we're doing at Sjögrens Australia, which means we can keep creating resources, raising awareness and advocating for our community.

And if you're just coming along with the free registration, that's amazing too. We'd simply love to have more Australians involved in conversations like this.

Register here:
https://www.sjogrenssummit.com/vss2026/register-1s?am_id=gavin9248

We can't wait to be part of it, and we hope to see some familiar names in the virtual audience.