Don't be silly, sinkspur! They can be near them, they just can't have sex with them! ;o) Men have female friends all the time, without having the desire to bed them! Besides, most men I've known recently who have become priests are making that decision in their thirties! They certainly are not dewey eyed young men in the throes of some holy vision locking themselves into a life they don't understand. They've made the decision that serving God in the capacity of the priesthood is more important to them than marrying and having children.
It's good that older men are being ordained today, but that still limits the priesthood to celibates.
My reference was a bit over the top, but I happen to believe that the vast majority of 24 year old men are too immature to commit to celibacy, and the attrition rate of men who are ordained at that age proves my contention.