When it comes to affection, us womenfolk are usually considered to be more touchy-feely than our male counterparts but when it comes to public displays of affection (PDAs)? Well, that’s a completely different story.

In fact, according to a new survey conducted by MSN, it’s the men in our lives who want us to get a little up, close and personal with them when we’re out in public. 49 per cent of the men surveyed admitted that they enjoyed PDAs from their partner because these little acts of affection help them to feel secure in their relationship.

In stark comparison, only 46 per cent of women said that they wanted PDAs from their man.

Interestingly enough, it was the men who were less embarrassed about showing their love in the public spotlight, with only 20 per cent saying that they felt uncomfortable with PDAs. Wherease 36 per cent of women admitted that too much in public makes us feel awkward and that we’d rather keep our romancing behind closed doors.

Does your man love PDAs more than you?

According to Tracey Cox, a sex expert, these results don’t mean that the opposite sex is getting all mushy on us, PDAs are actually a primitive way of showing that you’re off the market.

“PDA is not just fuelled by a natural desire to touch. Some touches are to warn off potential rivals; zoologists call these ‘mate guarding tactics,’” said Tracey.

If one partner is very affectionate and particularly prone to displays of affection in public, it’s usually because they feel insecure. They want there to be no confusion that their partner is ‘taken’ and belongs to them,” she added.

The good news is that when it comes to outrageous PDAs, we’re all on the same page as 94 per cent of men and women say that anything in the ‘get a room’ range of a PDA is simply unacceptable.

“Sex is something most people do in private and most people are happy for it to remain so. Seeing heavy petting in public is a glimpse into someone’s intimate private lives that we often don’t particularly want to see,” said Tracey.

The men and women questioned as part of the survey were also asked to rank the most acceptable forms of PDA in a scale from 1 (acceptable) to 10 (get a room). Here are the results:

1. Holding hands
2. Kissing on the cheek
3. Arms linked
4. Arms around waist
5. Arms around shoulder
6. Kissing on the lips
7. Cuddling
8. Bottom slapping
9. Kissing with tongues
10. Heavy petting