Sedentary micturition
Sitting to urinate is called sedentary micturition. Surveys suggest that as many as 70% of Japanese men sit to urinate, 40% of German men to the same, but just 9% of British men. The German’s have a word for sedentary micturition, “sitzpinkeln.” Genuinely accurate figures are hard to determine because, like sex surveys, people tend not to answer such highly personal and intrusive queries honestly, even with the promise of anonymity. I know I wouldn’t, anyway. In fact, on the rare occasions I indulge in a survey I take a mischievous pleasure with deliberately false answers.
Arguments for health benefits of sedentary micturition seem unconvincing, as the list of benefits is short and unimpressive.
It’s said that sitting down is a better option for men with certain medical conditions, i.e. prostate conditions, or trouble standing. Arguments for health benefits of sedentary micturition seem unconvincing, as the list of benefits is short, unimpressive, and not particularly compelling. What is more impressive are arguments for the superior hygiene of it - like, no unwanted splashback.
Or not.
It raises some interesting scenarios. Mothers do most of the child-rearing, so how do mothers train their little boys to go potty? Mothers teach their little boys how to clean themselves under their prepuce (if they have one), and mothers teach their little boys how to stand before a toilet bowl, hold their penises and aim. Or, maybe pre-school teachers do it. Or, maybe boys teach themselves through imitation once they reach a certain age - imitation of their fathers, their older brothers, or imitation of other boys in their environments. Maybe it’s a combination of all of the above. Or, maybe mothers teach these lessons by demonstrating and modeling. There’s an interesting image.