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Paraplegics need love too. So do cross-dressers, dwarfs, addicts and burn victims.
Oh, and we can't forget the impotent, diabetic and irritable-bowel sufferers.
How do they find true love on Match.com, eHarmony and Yahoo! Personals?
Dating went digital a long time ago, but the options these days are dizzying. Web sites cater to people with HIV and herpes, people who are tall or short, who are "married but looking," who love pets, wine, tennis, scuba diving and golf.
There are niche dating sites for every political affiliation, religion and ethnic group. There are ones for Trekkies (TrekPassions.com) and lonely Ayn Rand fans (atlasphere.com).
Of course, none of these niche dating sites can boast the huge memberships of a Match.com.
But some people find them more appealing than sifting through thousands of profiles. If a quadriplegic wants to date another quadriplegic, why waste time on eHarmony?
"You have a few gigantic general dating sites that have so many members. Most people are going with them," said Lisa Daily, a relationships expert and author of Stop Getting Dumped! "But what's happening is a lot of people don't want to date in the general public. Relationships are based on shared experiences. If you come into it already with something like herpes, that can be a help."
What are some of the most specialized sites?
• 18wheelsingles.com: "Where single truckers meet significant others." SWF looking for a truck driver for companionship and to ride the open road. Also check: truckerpassions.com.
• Airtroductions.com: Who hasn't dreamed of meeting someone on a plane? Create a profile, enter your flight information (flight number, airports, date and time) and select a match.
• Cisforcupid.com: Breast cancer survivor searching for prostate cancer survivor for companionship and emotional support? Cancer survivors founded this site earlier this year.
• DailyDiapers.com: Wear Depends? Or Pampers? This site is described as a community for adult babies, diaper lovers, big kids, mommies and daddies.
• DateALittle.com: This dating site caters to people with dwarfism and others of short stature; men under 5 feet 6 inches tall and women under 5 feet tall. Also check out LittlePeopleMeet.com.
• Datingpro.com: For those with no luck finding a perfect match. Design your own professional dating site.
• Deafs.com: "Where deaf friends and singles feel at home!" Partially deaf man seeks woman for intimate conversation. Must not mind speaking up. Sign language knowledge a plus. Also check out: deafpassions.com, deafsinglesconnection.com and soulmatesource.com/.deafpeoplemeet.
• Disabledpassions.com: For the quadriplegic searching for that special someone. This site caters to people with disabilities, ranging from visual impairment and deafness to people who use wheelchairs. Some others: disabled-world.com, whispers4u.com.
• Hairfetishpersonals.com: Men, get rid of that toupee. Women stop hiding that bald head under a wig. The singles on this site love the bald look, whether it's on a man or a woman.
• IrritatedBeingSingle..com: This site is for sufferers of irritable-bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease because, "there is no better feeling than being with someone who understands exactly what you are going through."
• Kizmeet.com: Helps you find those missed connections. (You danced with a hottie at the club last night but never got his name.) Search postings within specific locations, such as bar, club, coffee shop, in 17 cities.
• Marry-an-ugly-millionaire-online-dating-agency.com: Beautiful woman searching for ugly millionaire to shower her with diamonds. This dating site matches the poor with the filthy rich.
• MeetAnOstoMate.com: Wearing a colostomy bag? A dating site designed for ostomates.
• NoLongerLonely.com: A dating site for people with mental illess. Also check out: bipolarparty.com.
• Poormatch.com: Bills itself as the worst dating site in the world.
"Over one million people have had lukewarm romantic encounters since joining Poormatch.com."
Prescription4Love.com: P4L is for singles who suffer from an array of health conditions, including burn victims, arthritis, infertility or impotence, deafness, HIV and lupus.
Recoveringmates.com: For people recovering from an addiction, such as alcohol or drugs. This dating site boasts the largest database of sober singles.
Sugardaddie.com: Boasts that it has the "most attractive, wealthy and desirable people in online dating."
Talldates.com: M4M (men for men) dating site because "ordinary gay sites seem to exclude guys who get off on height differences." Also check out: Tallmentogether.com.
Transpassions.com: MTF pre-op searching for FTM pre-op for a real relationship. NO GAMES. A dating Web site for cross dressers, transgenders and transsexual singles. Some others: tgconnect.com and tg.matchopolis.com.
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