Hi Felicity I think that there is a perception amongst those with "normal" hearing that wearing hearing aids only happens in old age. We were in a department store in town and I was at the check out paying for a purchase. The cashier was a woman who was slightly older than myself and my partner. She said something that I didn't quite hear and I said that I hadn't heard her and asked her to repeat herself and face me when she spoke as I wear a hearing aid. Guess what she said? She actually said "Aren't you a little young for a hearing aid"!! I didn't know whether to feel insulted or ahsamed of the fact that I wear an aid or whether to be pleased because I don't look over 50! My response to her was "Actually I'm a little hard of hearing, that's why I NEED one. I guess people don't understand that deafness has no regard for age. Thank you for continuing to write wonderful articles. Ian