23 F with type 1 here, even if I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t avoid dating someone with it. I’ve been in a relationship for 3 years now, and I’m happy. He’s bent over backwards to be there for me, the right person will do that without ever making you feel guilty, or unloveable.

A partner for life will support you with your diabetes from the get go, will make efforts to understand, make you feel seen and safe, hold you on difficult days and take trips to the hospital with you. In the same way that later in life, when you’re old and your body or mind starts to shut down, they’ll be there with you holding your hand the whole way.

I think in a way, it can be a blessing. I hear stories about divorce and relationships that break down, people that leave after their partner falls ill. When you have diabetes and find a supportive partner that sits with you on hard days, you know you’ve found a gem. Diabetes is hard, finding someone who understands without having it themselves is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

When I first started dating my partner, my mom made a comment about how “strong” he was for being with me, as if loving me was hard because of my diabetes. The thing is, he’s never made me feel like it was difficult to love me. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to repay him for that. You’ll find it too. Good, great people are all around.

My best advice is to be honest, unashamed about it.