Sitting down to pee might help men

Peeing sitting down is a highly contentious act for a macho male. PHOTO | FOTOSEARCH.

“Show me an aimer who says he never misses the toilet and I’ll show you a liar,” anonymous. Perhaps this is the biggest reason why married men pee while sitting down, the pressure at home is real. To avoid getting into fights about getting pee on the floor; they sit. Peeing sitting down is a highly contentious act for a macho male because most men feel that there is something decidedly un-masculine about it. Reportedly, countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Taiwan and Japan are actively encouraging men to sit while peeing. Very little study has been done about the merits and demerits of peeing while sitting and the most referred to is one by Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. The study found that sitting down helps men with prostate problems such as lower urinary tract disease to urinate with greater force. This is because the sitting position encourages a “more favourable urodynamic profile.” According to the study, when men stand to pee, it activates a host of discreet muscles in the pelvis and spine which prevent proper urination.

PUBLIC TOILETS

The research indicated that the problem is more pronounced in public toilets. Here men flex these muscles more often, mainly to prevent themselves from letting go of enormous and embarrassing farts. The jury is still out on the matter and Dr Maurice Wambani, a urologist at Upper Hill Medical Center, says that the opposite is true. “There is not enough scientific evidence to show that this is true in fact when men sit while peeing they cannot force the bladder to release everything. Standing gives maximum effort to empty the bladder,” he says. Studies also suggest that when men with enlarged prostates pee sitting down, they can empty their bladders more quickly and effectively, which can reduce some of these problems.
Dr Wambani refutes this claims and also one that peeing while seated reduces the risks of cysts and other health complications.
“This is also untrue because again the more force used, the better and this is reduced while sitting down,” he says. The debate around this topic is contentious with many saying it is more of a hygiene thing than a health-related matter.
While most don’t advocate for peeing while seated, they do admit to doing it sometimes. For example, most acknowledge that when they have been out drinking or are half asleep in the middle of the night, sitting down is the only way to avoid a mess on the toilet seat. Whichever way men choose to empty their bladder, the only wrong way to do it is if one misses or has a bad aim.