UK News

A surprising amount of men prefer a sit-down wee — and it actually might be better for you

No judgement here, just facts.

Danny Jones - 25th May 2023

A bathroom is a private place, we know that, but we’re not going to lie and pretend there isn’t a part of us that’s curious to know if our habits are like everyone else’s, so when we came across this stat about how many men prefer having a sit-down wee to standing up, we thought it was worth sharing.

For those fortunate to have male genitalia, we have the luxury of not only being able to wee standing up but to even when we do so and, apparently, quite a lot of men prefer to take a seat before they tinkle.

As per a recent YouGov poll pulling people’s peeing data from around the world, there are a lot of blokes that often enjoy a sit-down wee, with some of the 13 countries surveyed more fond of it than others.

According to the stats, it is estimated that 62% of Germans regularly sit down to urinate — 40% of which do so every single time they visit the toilet. Very interesting indeed.

Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Australia were all fairly fond of a sit-down wee, with anywhere between 16-50% doing it every time and 14-28% doing so most times. It’s quite a sizable chunk of the male global population when you look at it.

As for us Brits, however, we were some of the least likely to take a pew while having a p*** — the least common in Europe, actually, with just 24% admitting that they do so either sometimes or always.

There was also a significant age element that factored into the research too, with the numbers obviously fluctuating from country to country.

For instance, while a total of 76% of over 55s in Germany made up the bulk of routine or at least regular sit-down urinaters, the majority (405) of Britain’s over 55s said they simply never have a sit-down wee.

In fact, in total, the UK was the nation where those most people said they’re never even tempted to sit down for one. However, if some of the latest research is to be believed, perhaps they should…

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Yes, that’s right, some people believe that the reason some men prefer a sit-down wee is because it’s actually somewhat beneficial for you (and no, not just because you don’t have to worry about your aim).

Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA Department of Urology, Dr Jesse N. Mills, told Thrillist back in 2016 that “sitting down is a better option for men with prostate conditions or men who just can’t stand up for a long time” and actually helps empty your bladder.

“A lot of guys sit to pee if they can’t fully evacuate their bladder. When you sit down, you can use your abdominal muscles more, and you get your last few squirts out and feel like you’ve emptied better.”

Furthermore, a couple of years prior to that researchers from the Department of Urology at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands discovered that sit-down wee also allowed men to empty their bladders faster and more effectively. Every day’s a school, eh?

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Featured Image — Openclipart/YouGov