Fellas, you may want to sit down for this news.
A top urologist says men shouldn’t urinate standing up, proclaiming it’s healthier and more hygienic to sit down to take a leak.
Gerald Collins, a consultant urological surgeon at Alexandra Hospital in Cheshire, England, made the claim in an interview with The Telegraph on Friday, following a YouGov report about male urination practices.
The data analytics firm surveyed more than 7,000 men from 13 countries across the globe, finding a majority usually stay standing while emptying their bladders.
The survey did uncover some surprising cultural differences, with 40% of German men saying they sit down to pee “every time,” in comparison with just 10% of American men.
And according to Collins, it’s the Germans who have the right idea.
“Sitting is probably the most efficient way of doing it,” the doctor declared, explaining that the muscles in the pelvis and the spine are completely relaxed in that position, making it easier to complete the peeing process.
The urologist added that it’s especially easier for older men to sit down to urinate, given that benign prostatic hyperplasia becomes increasingly common in advanced age.
The condition — which affects 80% of men 80 and older — occurs when the prostate gland and surrounding tissue expands, obstructing the urethra.
But the YouGov survey found older men are generally more opposed to sitting down than their younger counterparts, possibly due to the notion that it is more masculine to pee standing up.
For instance, 35% of American men over the age of 55 say they would “never” sit down to urinate, in comparison with just 21% of those aged 18- 24.
In Germany, sitting down while taking a tinkle has traditionally been derided among men, and there’s even a derogatory term for the practice.
“Sitzpinkler” is a slur for someone who sits down to wee, implying they are “wimpy or effeminate.”
However, in recent decades, the culture has changed significantly, and there are now signs in many public bathrooms across Germany warning men not to stand while urinating.
This is usually for issues relating to cleanliness, as urine is less likely to end up spraying across the floor if a person is seated.
A study cited by The Sun found that “splashback” from urine droplets could hit the side of a toilet and “catapult pee up to 3 meters away.”
Meanwhile, for hygiene purposes, it’s also better to close the lid of a toilet to flush.
A separate 2021 study found flushing urinals or open toilet bowls could send “tens of thousands” of diseased pathogen particles flying out of the bowl and into your purview.
