Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) occurs most commonly among reproductive age women (15-45), compatible with a potential role of reproductive factors, although past studies including women of mainly European ancestry have yielded conflicting results. This study looks at the relationships of reproductive factors to SLE risk among black women.

A group of 58,243 Black women were assessed twice a year for 20 years about reproductive and other health factors. Of the group, 125 women developed lupus at an average age of 43. Those women who started their menstruation cycle at a later age (15 vs. 12 years old) and breast fed for six months or more were associated with an increased risk of lupus.

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