Many men would agree that being able to pee standing up is one of the many perks of being a man. It’s quick, easy, and offers the ability of being able to pee almost anywhere.
When out and about, men don’t necessarily need to find a secluded bush and get someone to stand watch, all they need is a decent tree or wall and just pee away.
But that luxury may come with some risks, and many urologists will argue that it's high time men learned to pee sitting down or suffer the long term health consequences.
READ MORE: Changing your pooping posture could help bowel health – and give you an hour back per week
No, that isn’t referring to the harm a man might face from his angry wife having a go at him for peeing on the toilet seat, although that might explain why 42 percent of married men are already peeing while sitting down, according to a 2007 study.
Rather, sitting down to pee is recommended for men, especially those with prostate problems, as it allows them to pee with greater force, a2014 studyby Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands found.
Standing up to pee, on the other hand, stimulates muscles in the lower abdomen, pelvis and spine that make urination more difficult, the study noted.
Speaking to theThrillist, Dr Jesse N. Mills, an Associate Clinical Professor at the UCLA Department of Urology, says: “Sitting down is a better option for men with prostate conditions or men who just can’t stand up for a long time.
“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.”
Furtherstudieshave found that peeing sitting down also helps men who have larger prostates lower the risk of other complications associated with it, such as bladder stones and cysts.
However, sitting down to pee isn’t necessarily an absolute must for all men at all times, Dr Mills explains.
He says: “As long as a guy feels like he’s emptying his bladder standing or sitting, he’s in good shape.
“If not, then he should see a urologist to make sure there's not a blockage that makes him need to sit down and generate that abdominal contraction to empty.”
Nonetheless, if only to avoid the wrath of a furious wife, it might be better to always pee sitting down when at home at the very least.
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