Is It Better for a Man to Urinate Sitting or Standing?

Is it better for a man to urinate sitting or standing?

People with urinary problems often ask about the ideal urination position. And while this may seem like an easy question, there are a few things to note about it.

Is it better for a man to urinate sitting or standing? Introduction

In this article, we explain how men can more easily empty the bladder completely while seated on the toilet, as opposed to when standing.

While this in itself has its benefits, it doesn’t mean that peeing while standing is necessarily bad for a man.

For men who already have urinary problems, it may indeed be better to pee when sitting down.

However, for men who do not have any existing urinary problems, there is no difference in bladder function whether the urination happens while seated or standing.

Is there a natural position to urinate? 🚻

First off, it’s actually not clear what a natural urination position is. In large parts of the world, most men urinate standing up.

But in the (Middle) East, it’s expected for men to urinate in a squatted position. This is because Islam gives clear guidelines on posture when urinating for men.

In any case, peeing while standing is less hygienic than peeing while sitting. Because the pee jet travels further before ending up in the toilet bowl (or on the floor), causing more splashing.

All these splashes aren’t enjoyable for all those (women and men) who prefer to pee while sitting down.

In fact, quite a few men forget to raise the toilet seat, so it is completely stained with urine splashes. 🚽

Urine staining of clothing is also increased by urinating in a standing position.

Peeing and hygiene

The hygienic aspect of urination matters in our society. In public restrooms and toilets in schools and workplaces, the toilets are often not very clean.

As a result, many women no longer want to sit on the toilet seat but instead do their needs while hovering over the toilet.

So women prefer to hang over the toilet to take a pee, resulting in a lot of pressure on legs and arms to stay in position.

Obviously, this is not the intention, leading to an incorrect urination position.

Especially in elementary and middle schools, dirty toilets are often a cause of wrong urination.

Related: How do you clean a toilet for beginners? Ultimate guide

Research on urination postures

A urodynamic examination measures the functioning of the bladder at different urination positions.

In a urodynamic examination, the following things are measured:

• the pressure in the bladder during urination (telling us about the strength of the bladder muscle)
• the amount of urine that’s left in the bladder after urination (residue after peeing)
• the amount of urine eliminated
• the force of the urine jet (the flow)

Did you know that multiple studies have shown no difference between bladder function in a sitting or standing urination position in healthy men without urinary symptoms?

Pee standing up or sitting down for urinary symptoms?

Men who wonder whether they should urinate sitting or standing usually have urinary issues. These are generally caused by an enlarged prostate. Such issues could be the following:

• having to get out of bed often at night to pee
• a weak jet that makes urination take longer
• frequent urination
• difficulty in holding in urine
• difficulty in getting urination going
• not being able to empty the bladder completely

Benefits of urinating sitting down | Is it better for a man to urinate sitting or standing?

The pelvic floor muscles relax better when urinating while sitting than when standing, and urination generally lasts longer. This allows the bladder to empty itself better.

Urodynamic studies on men with urinary problems show that the jet is more powerful when sitting down.

In other words: the bladder is emptied better when one urinates sitting down.

Individual choice

Urination is a complicated action involving many factors like:

• Psychological factors (some men have difficulty urinating in front of others)
• Physical factors (for example, osteoarthritis may cause problems to sitting down, and especially to getting back up)
• Habituation to the position one always takes when urinating. This sudden change is uncomfortable and makes urination more difficult.

Is it better for a man to urinate sitting or standing? Conclusion

In summary, sitting urination seems to be slightly better than standing urination in men with urinary symptoms. This has also been confirmed by reliable research.

The most practical advice to men with urinary symptoms is to try peeing sitting down to see if it improves their symptoms.

Do you have problems relaxing the pelvic floor? Then we recommend consulting a pelvic physiotherapist. They can measure how best to relax the pelvic floor, which may improve urination.

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