Pelvic health: Here's why you should never pee in the shower

It’s not a shocking revelation that a considerable amount of people pee whilst they shower. In fact, experts have said that it’s quite a good way of saving water. However, while those with male genitalia naturally pee while standing up, those who have female organs do not and a doctor has gone on TikTok to explain why they in particular should refrain from peeing in the shower.

Why you should stop peeing in the shower

Dr. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas says that even a small habit, such as urinating in the shower, can have harmful consequences as you age. In this instance, relieving yourself during bath time could damage your pelvic floor.

Jeffrey-Thomas explained to Buzzfeed that those who have male genitalia ‘have the prostate to support the bladder’, and hence it’s okay for them to stand up while peeing. On the contrary, female bodies ‘do not have the same level of support.’ She said:

From a pelvic floor perspective, the position for peeing in the shower is not conducive to pelvic floor relaxation.

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⋙ Is it dangerous to hold in your pee?

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Frequent visits to the loo

If you still want to continue peeing in the shower, you could squat down to prevent injuring your pelvic floor, but another reason why this habit is problematic is because it can make your visits to the loo more frequent. She added:

We want to avoid training our bladder to associate certain signals with the urge to pee. In this case, peeing in the shower associates the sound of running water with urination or with submersion in water.

This can often transition into being triggered by other sounds of running water (like when you're running the faucet to wash your hands or the dishes) or when you're in bodies of water.

Peeing in the shower may seem inconsequential right now, but according to Jeffrey-Thomas, its the small habits that ‘contribute to our overall bladder function.’ So, if you don’t want to pee in your pants as you get older, you might want to train yourself to stop urinating in the shower.

Sources used:

Buzzfeed: This Physical Therapist Just Confirmed Why Women Shouldn't Pee In The Shower, And I'm Feeling Very Called Out