Time to bust some misconceptions about this community
Starting mid-October, hearing aids will become available over-the-counter, making them more accessible for the nearly 30 million adults who have trouble hearing.
This means you could see an uptick in people wearing hearing aids. Unfortunately, myths about hearing aids and the people who wear them often go unchecked.
To help clear things up, we asked people in the hard-of-hearing community to share common misconceptions they've heard about hearing aids, including:
"People from ages zero to 100 are wearing them," Kathy Dorn, a 29-year-old actress based in Los Angeles, adds – not just the elderly. She says this stereotype is painful and adds to stigma.
Hearing aids fix everything: "When people see someone wearing a hearing aid, they just assume the hearing is corrected. They can hear me, everything is like normal, but that's not really true," says Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. "Hearing aids are great assistive technology, but there's communication strategies (that can further help)."
To read the full list of misconceptions and learn more about what it's like to wear hearing aids, click here.
You might be misunderstanding childfree relationships
If you're someone without children, you've likely been asked about or pressured to have kids – and you're not alone.
As Millennial Therapist Sara Kuburic explains in this week's column, this often happens right after a couple gets married, if they are of a certain age or if they are together for what others consider to be an "acceptable" amount of time.
But before asking someone when they will have kids, consider the following:
They have probably thought about whether or not they wanted kids, as well as the timing. If they choose not to share their thought process or decision with you –respect that.
This question may add stress to the relationship. If a couple hasn’t made the decision yet or are not on the same page, asking them about kids can be a triggering or stressful conversation for them to have with others.
Their timeline should not be influenced by people outside the relationship. (So why pressure them?)
They may be struggling to conceive.
Just because they are married or have been in a relationship for a while it doesn’t mean their relationship is ready for a child. (They might be miserable and fighting all the time.)
Are you projecting your desires or beliefs onto them?
Maybe they are happy without kids!
Having a child is a big, lifelong commitment that needs to be approached with real consideration and seriousness. Let's allow people the space to actually do that. Let's allow people to have preferences and make decisions.
To read the full column, click here.
Celebs can 'have it all' and still be cheated on. What does it mean for the rest of us?
In last week's newsletter, I discussed the headline-making scandal involving Victoria's Secret model Behati Prinsloo and her husband Adam Levine sending "inappropriate" messages to to another woman.
Later that week, we saw yet another example: Nia Long’s fiancé Ime Udoka suspended from his role as Celtics basketball coach after an alleged affair. Previously, other big names like Emily Ratajkowski and Beyoncé have opened up about their experiences with being cheated on, the latter dedicating a whole album to address it.
It's easy to react to reports that a celebrity has cheated on their famous partner with surprise: They seem to have it all, they are beautiful and successful. But cheating is much more complicated.
It's an issue that isn't just skin deep, experts say, and often has more to do with the cheater than the person being cheated on.
"Beauty is not necessarily a motivator when it comes to seeking sex outside of primary partnerships," explains Cyndi Darnell, sex and relationships therapist and author of "Sex When You Don't Feel Like It: The Truth about Mismatched Libido & Rediscovering Desire."
"The reasons people cheat are wide and varied and are often based in feelings and emotional complexity, far more profound than whether their primary partner is hot or not," Darnell says. "What people seek when they are cheating is often experiences that, for whatever reason, they feel they cannot have within the confines of the relationship they are in."
To read the full story, click here.
Today's reads
'Rainbow fentanyl' and Narcan in schools: What you need to know about illicit fentanyl
What is the 'B' in LGBTQ? Learn about why it matter
Butter boards are taking over TikTok. Here's everything you need to know about them.
A weatherman was fired when his webcam photos leaked. Will how we think about sex ever change?
Looking for an easy fall breakfast? Try pumpkin spice overnight oats
Is your pulse is too high? When your heart rate becomes a concern.
Today's pet
Meet Bella.
"She loves being outside and soaking up the sun outside while she can," writes Jen Skjerven of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. "She’s a rescue pup that rescued us and much as we rescued her. We just adore our little 'Boo.' "
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hearing aids: What the hard of hearing community wants you to know
