Interabled couple Squirmy and Grubs spoke out about intimacy benefits of disability
YouTube stars Squirmy and Grubs opened up about why stereotypes about the sexual relationships between interabled couples are incorrect.
The pair, who announced they are expecting their first child on Tuesday (8 September), are on a mission to change the way that people look at disabilities and relationships.
Although getting intimate doesn't look like 'what you see in the movies' for these two, they explained that its still just as romantic.
Shane and Hannah Burcaw - who are better known as Squirmy and Grubs on social media - have been documenting their life online for the last several years.
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They boast a whopping 1.86million subscribers on their YouTube channel, where they share videos which aim to educate people on what being in an interabled couple is like.
Shane is wheelchair bound as he was born with a severe muscle-wasting disease which is known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2.
There is no cure for this rare genetic condition and it gets worse over time, however, medicines and treatments can help manage symptoms.
Hannah, meanwhile, is able bodied - and a lot of people are interested in how their sex life works due to this difference between them.
Shane told Business Insider in 2024 that some folks seem to think that 'people with disabilities don't have physical desires', which couldn't be further from the truth.
"I'm sexual, just like most able-bodied men," he said. "Sex for us doesn't look the way it does in every romance film. But that doesn't make it any less worthy, satisfying, or fulfilling."
'Really damaging stereotype' about the sex lives of disabled people
He said that his wife's caregiving has also helped them 'build our communication and intimacy' over the years.
In a YouTube video that was uploaded in 2020, without outright spelling it out, Shane and Hannah explained what sex is like for them.
Hannah explained that as they like to keep the details private, 'a lot of people assume that it doesn't exist'.
"And that's a really damaging stereotype for all disabled people, when you assume that disabled people aren't sexually active," she said.
Shane then chimed in saying: "Obviously our intimacy doesn't always look like the cookie cutter image of intimacy, but we find ways that work for us."
The couple explained that verbal communication plays a huge part in their sex life, which has 'benefitted' them in the bedroom.
Hannah said they are very honest with each other, as they 'say what they want' and then 'figure out how to get it'.
Shane pointed out that other people often complain that they 'don't feel comfortable expressing' their desires to their partner, but he doesn't have this issue with his wife.
Earlier this week, the YouTubers announced that they are gearing up for the arrival of their first child in January.
They started IVF back in March 2023 and took their subscribers along with them, but ran into a few setbacks along the way.
Referencing this journey in their adorable pregnancy announcement post, Shane and Hannah said: "After going through IVF unsuccessfully for many years, we understand all too well the difficulties that many people experience when trying to conceive, and how seeing announcements can feel. Our hearts go out to you."
Topics: YouTube, Parenting, Sex and Relationships
Olivia Burke