There is more riding on that first kiss than you think! Aparently kissing can reduce stress, promote bonding, determine of you are the right one, prepare you for mating...oh my!

Kissing: It really is all about chemistry

By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - Valentine Lotharios beware: There's a lot riding on a kiss, new studies on the science of smooching suggest. Researchers said kissing sets off a complex set of chemical reactions, and in some cases, a bad kiss could be the kiss of death for a burgeoning romance. "A kiss is a mechanism for mate assessment," said Helen Fisher of Rutgers University in New Jersey, who is presenting her findings on Saturday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago. Fisher, an anthropologist, told a news briefing that kissing is something more than 90 percent of human societies practice Also from the same article: "We do have evidence that saliva has testosterone in it. And there is also evidence that men like sloppier kisses, and more open-mouthed kisses. That suggests to me they are unconsciously trying to transfer testosterone to trigger the sex drive in women," said Fisher, who thinks kissing is just the tip of the iceberg. And last but not least: Stress hormone levels in both male and female volunteers dropped when they spent time kissing or holding hands with their honeys. Kissing reduced stress more than hand-holding. And the longer a couple had been in a relationship, the more cortisol levels dropped, Hill says. The rest of the story can be found in the following articles: Kissing chemistry Affairs of the Lips: Why We Kiss: Scientific American Kissing: It really is all about chemistry | Science | Reuters