Men who work for the Sörmland County Council in central Sweden should sit down rather than stand up when urinating in office toilets, according to a motion put forward by the local Left Party chapter.
The Left Party in Sörmland is taking a stand to ensure men take a seat when emptying their bladders in the county council's own toilets.
According to the party, there are two very important reasons for the proposal encouraging men to sit instead of stand when they urinate.
One reason has to do with hygiene and a desire to ensure that no one who uses the toilets at the county council's offices will be required to walk through puddles or residue left by stray urine which happens to splash out of the bowl and onto the floor when male employees pee standing up.
The Left Party also cites medical research it claims shows that men empty their bladders more efficiently when they are seated.
The improved bladder evacuation not only reduces the risk for prostate problems, according to the party, but also helps men who sit rather than stand achieve a longer and healthier sex life, the local Folket newspaper reported.
As a first step in its quest to get men to take a seat, the Left Party proposes labeling toilets which are designated for men who absolutely want to remain standing when they pee.
The Left Party's Viggo Hansen, a substitute member of the county council and the man responsible for the proposal, wants the office toilets to be genderless and as a result, is pushing for the "sit-down only" requirement.
He insisted, however, that the move doesn't represent political meddling in people's bathroom habits.
"That's not what we're doing. We want to give men the option of going into a clean toilet," he told Sveriges Television (SVT).
