With the recent announcement of Selena Gomez's lupus diagnosis, experts are hoping more people get to know the facts about the disease.

The autoimmune disease affects more than 1.5 million Americans. According to the Lupus Research Institute, more than 90 percent of lupus sufferers are women.

No two cases of lupus are exactly alike, so the symptoms vary depending on which body systems are affected by the disease. Some symptoms include fatigue and fever, chest pain, butterfly-shaped rashes and joint pain.

It also sometimes takes four to six years before people are diagnosed, and in that time organs can be damaged.

Even with a diagnosis, treatment can be difficult. Selena Gomez said she received chemotherapy, but that doesn't work for everyone.

The Lupus Research Institute is scheduled to have a patient conference next Tuesday in Manhattan.