Recently a few of my female friends have dated men who claimed they couldn't develop emotions without physical intimacy, and lose interest in the person of there is no intimacy within 2-3 dates. One argued with one of them that this means he couldn't fall in love with someone he didn't have a relationship with, which is unlikely since most people experience unrequited love. He agreed and said that when it's all a fantasy it's different, but when you actually date the person, lack of physical intimacy feels like rejection which turns off all emotions for him (even if the woman explains that she is interested but needs to know the person better first).
Of course part of me thinks that they were just saying this to get into bed. But part of me is inclined to believe them. Dating above 30 is very hard and while many women are cautious about having relations with someone who isn't interested in anything long term, or violent, men can be cautious about dating women who are not truly attracted to them.
Did anyone experience this difficulty of falling in love without physical intimacy, even if you are truly interested in the person? I would be very happy to hear opinions and experiences (and also thoughts on how to solve this tangle)