Embarrassing and cautionary tales of celebrities caught in sexting and nude photo scandals are not dissuading the general public from such irrational behaviour, a new report has revealed.

According to the 2012 Harlequin Romance Report unveiled last week, 43 percent of respondents to an Internet survey of 1,500 women between the ages of 18-40 admitted to sexting, which is the sending of sexually explicit text or email messages. 36 percent of respondents admitted to sexting after only a few dates, and 27 percent revealed that they had sent nude photos of themselves via email or text message.