Oct. 10, 2003 - Around 16 percent of adult Americans have at least one tattoo, believing the body art makes them feel sexier, more rebellious and even, in some cases, more intelligent, according to a poll published.

The poll carried out by Harris Interactive probed the tattoo trend from just about every angle, from sexual orientation to political affiliation.

Democrats it seems are more likely to have tattoos (18 percent) than supporters of other parties, although Republicans ran them a close second with 14 percent.

Among those with tattoos, 34 percent said they felt sexier, especially women, while 29 percent professed to feeling more rebellious.

Five percent even claimed that tattoos made them feel more intelligent or, in three percent of cases, more athletic.

The fact that tattooing has become a conscious style choice rather than a drunken mistake was reflected in the fact that 83 percent of people with tattoos voiced no regret about having them.

Among those who did acknowledge having made a mistake, the reason cited most often was "because of the person's name in the tattoo."

Regret was highest among tattooed Republicans at 24 percent.

The survey was conducted online within the United States between July 14 and 20, among a nationwide cross-section of 2,215 adults.