We may think a passionate kiss is a universal pleasure, but in some cultures, kissing doesn't take place at all.

According to a new research, less than half of all societies use kissing to express sexual desire – and some even find the act repulsive.

The study found that out of 168 cultures from around the world, only 46 per cent of them kiss in the romantic sense.

The study found that out of 168 cultures from around the world, 46 per cent of them kiss in the romantic sense. Pictured is the percentage of countries in which kissing is present, or lacking, in each region around the world

For instance, data suggests 15 cultures our of 33 studied in North America where kissing is not present.

Romantic kissing takes place in in all Middle Eastern countries studies, but in Europe, three out of the 10 countries in the survey found kissing in a romantic scenario to be unacceptable.

In Asia, 27 per cent, or 10 out of 27 countries, didn't kiss romantically.

The new study, which appears in an article in American Anthropologist, focused on romantic kisses between couples.

'No ethnographer working with Sub-Saharan African, New Guinea, or Amazonian foragers or horticulturalists reported having witnessed any occasion in which their study populations engaged in a romantic–sexual kiss,' the researchers report.

'However, kissing appears to be nearly ubiquitous among 9 of the 11 foragers living in Circum-Arctic region (i northern Asia and North America).'

According to the BBC, the Mehinaku tribe in Brazil reportedly said it was 'gross'

William Jankowiak of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas claims the research reveals how kissing is a learned behaviour, created by western societies and passed down through the generations.

The scientists also wanted to find out if there were anything different between cultures that do and don't kiss. They discovered that 'there is a direct relationship between the presence of kissing and the level of stratification within a society, with kissing present most frequently in complex societies'

Overall, the study contradicts earlier research that placed this figure at 90 per cent.

'We suspect that perhaps Western ethnocentrism may be driving the common misconception that romantic-sexual kissing is a (near) universal,' the researchers write.

The scientists also wanted to find out if there were anything different between cultures that do and don't kiss.

They discovered that 'there is a direct relationship between the presence of kissing and the level of stratification within a society, with kissing present most frequently in complex societies.'

While the researchers don't appear to have any explanation for this, they do say that the urge isn't in our genes.

Our lips are one of the most sensitive parts of our bodies, with plenty of sensory neurons linked to the brain's pleasure centres.

KISSING PASSES ON 80 MILLION BUGS - BUT IT KEEPS YOU HEALTHY As many as 80 million bacteria are transferred during a ten-second kiss, according to biologists There is nothing as romantic as two lovers sharing a kiss. But scientists have come up with an evolutionary explanation which perhaps threatens to kill the passion. Academics think that kissing helps partners share bacteria, shoring up their immune systems and enabling them to better fight disease. As many as 80 million bacteria are transferred during a ten-second kiss, according to Dutch biologists. Sharing those germs means both partners are equipped to ward off the infections they might introduce to each other later on. Humans carry trillions of bacteria in the body, which together make up a 'microbiota' – a complex mix of bugs which play a crucial role in digesting food and warding off infections. Remco Kort, from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research - or TNO - said his team set out to discover the evolutionary reason for kissing. 'Interestingly, the current explanations for the function of intimate kissing in humans include an important role for the microbiota present in the oral cavity, although to our knowledge, the exact effects of intimate kissing on the oral microbiota have never been studied,' he said. Advertisement

Some believe it floods the brain with the love, security and comfort chemicals associated with breastfeeding.

And our ancestors probably weaned their babies by mouth-to-mouth sharing of food, reinforcing the connection between sharing spit and pleasure.

Another idea is our foraging ancestors were attracted to red ripe fruit and so developed red lips to tempt sexual partners.

Kissing has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase the bonding hormone oxytocin, so is good for our health and happiness.

But kissing as we do it today seems to be a relatively recent invention, Rafael Wlodarski, a researcher at Oxford University told the BBC.

He notes that pheromones are a big part of how mammals chose a mate.

'We've inherited all of our biology from mammals, we've just added extra things through evolutionary time,' he said.