Experts have warned that it could be better for men to urinate sitting down, as research shows British men are the least likely to do so.
A YouGov survey that looked at men’s urination behavior in 13 countries ranked Britons 11th least likely to be sitting every time, as only 24 per cent of Brits regularly urinate while sitting.
And 33 percent of them are convinced they would never do that.
By comparison, the so-called “sitzpinklers” – people who sit down to urinate – made up 40 percent of German men, where standing to urinate is considered antisocial due to poor aiming and stray drops – and many public toilets have signs that tell men to sit.
American engineering professors who researched “splashback” found that urine droplets hitting the toilet seat can catapult pee up to ten feet away, potentially putting your toothbrush in the firing zone of harmful E. coli bacteria.
It’s not just hygiene-related benefits that most British men miss out on.
Dutch researchers at Leiden University Medical Center previously discovered that sitting can make emptying the bladder completely easier and faster.
This is because sitting down completely relaxes the muscles in your pelvis and spine and makes it easier to release your pee, while these muscles remain activated when you stand.
Dr. Jesse N. Mills, Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA Department of Urology, previously told Thrillist that sitting helps men use their abs more: “You get your last few shots out and feel like you’ve emptied better.”
And according to Gerald Collins, a consulting urologic surgeon at Alexandra Hospital, sitting down to urinate is “probably the most efficient way to do it.”
It may be especially beneficial for men as they age, he told The Telegraph, because of a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) that affects 80 percent of men by the time they turn 80.
It occurs when the prostate gland and the surrounding area expand to clog the urethra — the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body — making urination more difficult.
Men with BPH can get bladder stones, urinary tract infections, and even kidney infections if they don’t empty their bladders completely.
“BPH occurs as a result of a change in the hormonal environment in the prostate, primarily from the early 1940s,” Collins said. “You get an increase in a certain breakdown product of testosterone that causes the prostate to increase its cell development and size. As a result, men notice that they can urinate much better sitting down.”
Dr. Mills said sitting is “a better option for men with prostate disease or men who just can’t stand for long periods of time.”
He added: “When you sit, you can aim better. If you’re in the right place, chances are you’ll get it in the right place.”
If you’re having trouble getting that empty feeling, you should seek medical help.