• Privacy Policy

We Respect Your Privacy

We provide this notice explaining our online information practices. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested. By visiting the American Arthritis Society (AAS) at www.americanarthritis.org  you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Notice.


Information We Collect

Two types of information are collected:

    Personal, or “individually identifiable,” information you provide to us; and
    Standard web server/visitor traffic information, commonly referred to as “aggregate information,” regarding overall Web site traffic patterns. Normally, web servers collect this type of basic information as part of their web log processes. We do not report on individual user sessions.



Individually Identifiable Information & How We Use It

There are instances when AAS collects individually identifiable information from its users. Examples include: Web site personalization, information requests, etc. Individually identifiable user information we may collect includes:

First and last name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone number, email address, and subject of inquiry (i.e. volunteering or information requests). In addition, users may choose to personalize their web experience by becoming a registered user of www.americanarthritis.org. Here, users can identify Arthritis types that interest them, an audience type, request email news, opt-out from unsolicited email, and enter a language preference for the site.

- Occasionally, AAS may contact individuals who have provided their individually identifiable information through the Web site in order to:

    Conduct surveys seeking feedback. These surveys are used for quality assurance purposes, and to improve our level of service to you.
    Supply news and information. This may include Arthritis information, the latest Arthritis and other health news, current events, ways you can help, etc.

If you wish to restrict the use of your contact information, you may let us know by:

a. Contacting the AAS National Call Center
     at phone 877-294-7062
     or by fax at 877-294-7064
     or by e-mail at   service(a)americanarthritis.org

b.  Contacting the AAS National Home Office via postal mail at:
     The American Arthritis Society
     60 State Street, Suite 700
     Boston, MA 02109.


Aggregate Information

In addition to information provided by our visitors, we use the normal Internet tracking tools associated with standard Internet protocols and Web based systems. This system information is typically stored in log files and the information is used for aggregate reporting. Aggregate reporting includes: total number of visitors, most visited sections, peak traffic times, etc. Log files are simply transaction records web servers maintain. Those logs are used for recording information, such as:

    service provider IP addresses;
    browser versions;
    referring Web sites;
    search terms used;
    average number of pages requested;
    average duration of visit;
    total visitor traffic.

We use aggregate information gathered from your visit to better design our Web site. This information supplies us with a broad picture of how people use our Web site in order to help the management of our systems and to better serve our audience.


Our Commitment To Data Security

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we strive to maintain physical, electronic, and administrative safeguards to secure the information we collect online.


Links to Other Sites

AAS has links to other Web sites that are not under its control, and AAS is not responsible for the contents of any linked Web site, or any link contained in a linked Web site, or any changes or updates to such Web sites. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by AAS of that Web site.


This privacy statement applies only to the AAS Web site. Please be aware that AAS is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other Web sites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that requests personal information from you.
AAS reserves the right to change this policy at any time. Our privacy policy will  be kept up-to-date and clearly posted on our Web site.

Revised 03/27/2007