A surprising number of individuals believe that their chronic health conditions are a reason potential partners may decline to date them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that roughly 129 million Americans live with at least one major chronic illness.
These conditions can vary significantly, including ailments such as diabetes, asthma, Crohn’s disease, and different forms of cancer.
Despite the fact that millions are affected by chronic illnesses, it might be expected that many people would be accustomed to dating or having a partner with such conditions. However, a recent survey indicates otherwise.
This survey, conducted by Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre, included 500 UK residents with chronic conditions and 1,000 individuals without.
The findings revealed that 10 percent of those with chronic illnesses felt that they faced rejection from potential partners due to their health issues.
Additionally, 16 percent of the 500 respondents reported experiencing mistreatment or discrimination from a partner because of their condition, while another 10 percent encountered belittling and patronizing behavior from a significant other.
Due to these experiences, 58 percent of participants are hesitant to mention their health conditions on dating apps, fearing rejection.
In particular, nearly half of those with diabetes avoid discussing their condition on social media platforms.
Some respondents felt that their health issues were private, while others did not want their illness, such as diabetes, to become their defining trait.
Supporting the notion of discrimination in the dating realm, one in ten admitted they avoided pursuing relationships with individuals who have chronic illnesses.
Commenting on these troubling findings, Neil Harris, the divisional vice president of West Europe for Abbott’s diabetes care division, stated: “Unfortunately, diabetes bias and prejudice are common in our society.”
“By calling out ‘discrimidating’ the act of rejecting someone for something they can’t help, we hope to make it easier for people to discuss medical conditions, raise awareness, and erase stigmatizing behavior.”
Being deterred from dating someone because of a chronic illness can be perceived as a significant warning sign.
In other areas, experts advise that additional red flags to watch for in a potential partner may include struggles with addiction, controlling or jealous behavior, love-bombing, and poor communication skills, among others.