Who's 'sexting'? Just about everyone!

A new study claims that more than 80 percent of Americans involved in romantic or physical relationships indulge in 'sexting.'

According to the research, more than eight out of 10 people surveyed online admitted to sexting in the prior year.

Emily Stasko of Drexel University said that it was important to continue investigating the role sexting plays in current romantic and sexual relationships.

Stasko surveyed 870 participants from the United States aged 18 to 82 to assess sexting behaviors, sexting motives, and relationship and sexual satisfaction. Just over half the participants were women.

The researchers found that 88 percent of participants reported ever having sexted and 82 percent reported they had sexted in the past year.

Nearly 75 percent said they sexted in the context of a committed relationship and 43 percent said they sexted as part of a casual relationship.

In addition, they found that greater levels of sexting were associated with greater sexual satisfaction, especially for those in a relationship. Participants, who identified as single (26 percent), had significantly lower overall scores for sexual satisfaction.

Stasko said that sexting had received growing attention as a risky activity, associated with numerous other sexual risk-taking behaviors and negative health outcomes.

Stasko further added that these findings show a robust relationship between sexting and sexual and relationship satisfaction.