'Sexting is hardwired in our brains'

London: Sexting has become a favourite pastime of many, including celebrities. Now, scientists have claimed that the desire to share intimate pictures with others may actually not be their fault - it could be hardwired into their brains.

Recent studies have found that more than half of women's sexual fantasies reflect their desire to be sexually irresistible to men.

In one recent survey, 47 per cent of women reported the fantasy of seeing themselves as a striptease dancer, harem girl, or other performer, while 50 per cent fantasised about delighting more than one man.

Marta Meana of the Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, who analysed the research, claimed, "Being desired is very arousing to women."

"An increasing body of data is indicating that the way women feel about themselves may be very important to their experience of sexual desire and subjective arousal, possibly even outweighing the impact of their partners' view of them," Meana was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

However, she admitted that more research was needed in the area, claiming scientists need to investigate eroticism.

"The little data we have indicate that eroticism just will not be told what to do. Consequently, research and clinical forays into eroticism may go a long way toward facilitating inclusiveness and considering the diversity and full range of women's sexual desires," she said.

The research could explain the recent flood of celebrity picture leaks. The popularity of smartphones with cameras has meant that over the past few years, more photographs of bare-naked celebrity anatomy have been leaked to the public eye than over the previous two centuries.

The list of those who have had their saucy snaps revealed includes Scarlett Johansson, Vanessa Hudgens, Jessica Alba, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Ron Artest, Rihanna, Pete Wentz and dozens more. Many have even defended their actions.

Websites showing amateur self portraits have also become a huge success around the world, many using pictures taken from Facebook and other social networking sites.

The behaviour also appears in men, and some researchers believe they may have inherited the urges from primate ancestors, researchers said.