Women need twice as many public toilets as men, say health experts

The Royal Society for Public Health says lack of facilities is a ‘threat to health, mobility and equality’

Toilet provisions should be increased across the country, so that there are two female toilets to every male one, according to health experts.

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has recommended new laws surrounding the state of public facilities, suggesting the UK follows in the footsteps of some parts of the US and Canada where a two-to-one ratio is mandated to address the gender imbalance in toilet queue times.

The report, which is titled “Taking the P***”, also says more unisex facilities are needed to ensure equality of access and better provision for transgender individuals.

According to the data, 74 per cent of the 2,089 people interviewed say there are not enough public toilets in their area.

This follows similar findings from the researchers that suggest one in seven council-run toilets have closed since 2010.

As well as convenience, the RSPH has warned that the lack of facilities could be having a negative impact on public health.

According to the report, more than half (56 per cent) of people practise “deliberate dehydration”, where they do not drink enough water out of fear they will be unable to find a toilet.

This can have serious consequences, including dizziness, constipation and headaches, the NHS says.

Of those with an illness or condition that requires more frequent toilet use, such as diabetes or bowel conditions, 43 per cent admitted they do not go out as much as they would like.

The standard ratio of female-to-male toilets in the UK is one-to-one but because there tend to be higher numbers of urinals in male toilets this is rarely reached, the RSPH says.

As such, the organisation is now calling for the introduction of a “potty parity” to better reflect the longer amount of time women need when using the toilet.

It says that “because of time-consuming factors related to clothing, menstruation and anatomical differences, a fair ratio of toilet provision would be at least 2:1 in favour of women".

“Our report highlights that the dwindling public toilet numbers in recent years is a threat to health, mobility and equality that we cannot afford to ignore,” explains Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the RSPH.

“As is so often the case in this country, it is a health burden that falls disproportionately on already disadvantaged groups.

“Public toilets are no luxury: it’s high time we begin to see them as basic and essential parts of the community – just like pavements and street lights – that enable people to benefit from and engage with their surroundings.”

Last month, a YouGov poll carried out for health and hygiene company Essity revealed that more than half a million pupils avoid drinking during the school day so they can avoid using the toilets.

The survey of 1,500 secondary school pupils found that 5 per cent never use the toilet at school – and just under a fifth (19 per cent) say it is because the toilets are not safe.

Meanwhile, more than half of the group said they avoid the toilets because they are dirty, while 17 per cent say it is because they are faulty and 12 per cent blame a lack of toilet roll or soap.