India is great fun but the fun can fizz out if you see some of the toilets India has to offer. The toilets in your hotel room will most likely be western style but if you are out and about and if you want to pee and most likely you want to, then you are in bad luck. You will have to deal with Indian style squat toilets and it’s not easy using it. If you happen to be travelling in trains then it’s even worse. You not only have to deal with a moving train but also the toilets are dam right dangerous. Guess where the ‘poo’ and the ‘pee’ drain on to. Yes – straight on the tracks! That is why most trains have signs requesting passengers not to use them on platforms. Even Indian ladies try not to use them unless they really have to, let alone foreign tourists travelling to India. It’s not going to be easy for a western lady to pull their pants down and bend their bum all the way down to the ground not to mention that they can get mosquito bites when the’re down there. If you’re not sure how to use the Indian toilet then read here.
However some women have resorted to using something called female urination devices (FUD) when travelling to countries where hygiene conditions are poor. They are funnel shaped devices that allows a female to “make water” while standing upright. The idea behind is that you pee like a man and collect and/or discard the urine. Although I have not used them myself but I personally think this is a good idea. Let’s face it; it’s an unnatural thing to do for a woman to “pee” standing up like a man. But then these devices can be a life saver.
These devices can be great for outdoor holidays and activities such as trekking, camping, walking and skiing, climbing even traffic jams and for avoiding dirty Indian public toilets. Using one of these devices will also make you feel that there are no advantages of being a man.
Here is a list of Female urination devices I found doing a Google “cough” Yahoo search
Shewee is a portable urination device for women allowing women to urinate whilst standing up and without removing clothes. If you’re OK with extreme pink colour, I think it’s a good device.
Go Girl – Female Urination Device is another of these so called female urination devices. It is claimed to be handy enough device to be placed in your bag. According to their website, they recommend this for festivals, camping, hiking, long car journeys and ‘icy toilets’.
Whiz Freedom is a lily shaped device allowing women to wee in a standing up, sitting down or lying position without undressing. According to the manufacture, there is no need to remove any clothing and the water is directed away from the body preventing flow-backs, splashes or spills.
P-Mate Female Disposable Urine Director – As the name suggests; the role of this card-board device when placed between the legs and tilted downwards can direct the urine hence eliminating the need to squat.
Lady Elegance P EZ Female Urinal, another FUD that allows a lady to pee like a boy. It has a flexible tube to allow you to point the urine away from your body.
TravelJohn Disposable Urinals are not exactly devices to urinate but more like are portable urinals. They are pouch like disposable urinals made of biodegradable fabric. According to the manufactures, they absorb urine and degrade it into smell-less, non-spill gel bag that is non toxic that can be disposed safely.
I can see that it’s not an easy thing to use. Seems as if things get a little splashy, chances are you might get wet. Remember, most good Indian hotels and restaurants (not all) have western styled toilets but check before you go. But if you’re visiting places and stopping at “Dhabas” (road side eateries), you’re not going to find decent toilets. This is where these female urination devices will come handy to prevent you squatting over unsanitary toilets. Don’t let Indian squat toilets stop your desire to urinate.