While many people think “old” when they think arthritis, millions of young women live with autoimmune forms of arthritis. 

The most common form, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is 2-3 times more likely to occur in women. 

RA is not a disease of older adults. Rather, most are diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50, though RA can start at an earlier or later age. Therefore, RA affects women during their key childbearing years.