No sex please, this is a website for platonic relationships only

For anyone looking for sex, the internet is often the first stop with its array of dating sites and chat rooms devoted to the subject. It is probably the last place that those seeking a celibate relationship would consider looking.

However, an online dating agency has been launched for those seeking intimacy without intercourse. Platonicpartners.co.uk says that it will help the silent minority of adults seeking “celibate, platonic, non-physical or partly physical relationships” and help them to find a mate.

The site was founded by Susie King, a former life coach, who was moved to set up the forum after a close friend attempted suicide because of his sexual impotence. He did not want a future without a loving relationship. The issue had also come up repeatedly during her work as a life coach, with clients admitting that they could not or did not want to have sex any more, but still sought love and affection.



Platonicpartners was launched in June and has 400 members. The website had over 27,000 hits in the first three months. Ms King said that celibacy was far more common than people thought, but there was nowhere for people to turn if they wanted a nonphysical relationship. “Our society is so inundated with sexual images, people feel bad and suffer if they don’t want it. I wanted them to know they are not alone,” she said.

The website’s membership is almost equally divided between men and women. Some have medical conditions that rule out sex – men with heart disease or prostate cancer, or women with postmenopausal conditions – although others are just not very interested in sex.

A traffic-light system warns prospective partners how far members are willing to go. Red means no physical contact, amber indicates that kissing, cuddling and maybe light petting is acceptable, while green suggests they will try as much as they are capable of.