Do you feel nervous or uneasy using unisex loos?

Yeah, tbh I’ve not been in a unisex loo for as long as I can remember with multiple cubicles? Do they exist? I’ve been in unisex loos where there is just one toilet like in a cafe. I don’t LOVE it, especially if the toilet seat is up from a man previously because I just use my foot to bring it down (understandably hate touching the toilet with my hands)…

Bur I don’t feel uneasy because I know it’s just me locked in the cubicle but I guess you’re referring to unisex toilets with multiple cubicles

The only kind of unisex loos that are legal in the UK are single-user fully-enclosed rooms where the hand-washing and drying facilities are within the room with the lavatory and the room opens out into a public space not a vestibule. I have no trouble at all using those.

Anywhere that has a room full of cubicles with shared handwashing facilities that is labelled "Unisex" is breaking the law. These are not providing appropriate dignified facilities and it is established in law that women are at a disadvantage and being discriminated against if a venue does not provide appropriate single-sex facilities. It is fine for unisex facilities to also be provided if someone doesn't want to use the facilities for their own sex.

I have used Unisex "room full of cubicles with shared handwashing facilities" in other countries where they are legal and found them very unpleasant. Men use the cubicles as a urinal but don't bother to shut and lock the door meaning that women see more than they want to, it doesn't feel comfortable. I did feel safe enough as the room was so busy with at least 15ish people in there, and no chance of someone isolating a vulunerable user, but I wouldn't use such a room at quiet times when there might be a high chance of being the only woman there with one or more men.

It doesn’t bother me, but I recognise it bothers other women and children so I would prefer women only spaces. It isn’t all about me, which is something these ‘men’ don’t understand.

Nope, doesn’t bother me. I also happily use the men’s toilets at events if there’s a big queue for the ladies! Never had an issue

Completely depends on the set up and I suppose time of day and people around.

Most uni sex loos I have encountered have been one swith wash basin in with toilets - then my issue is often the door being floor to ceiling which in one way is nice another can often feel claustrophobic and worry about locks getting stuck.

The few I haven't that have had communial sinks were often full of mums with pushchairs and young families and men while there have felt in minoirty.

Ones I really dislike are one with new signage and that's it- they are most likely to feel unsafe to me.

There are also concerns about more cameras being in unisex loos and illict filming - not seen figures for that but is a potential issue.

I'd be a bit screwed if I did as we have them at work.

The cleaners are fierce though, so no piss puddles on the floor at least

I hate them. Not because of embarrassment or fear but just hygiene.
The ones I use are mainly self contained but they are smelly, basically smell like gents.
I take wipes and wipe seat, handles etc.

OT, but shouldn't they be called omnisex loos.

I've stayed on a gazillion French, German, Dutch and Italian campsites and can't remember ever coming across proper unisex facilities.

I don’t use them. Full stop.

This, 100%.

Doesn’t bother me at all. And for those complaining about piss on the seats, there’s no shortage of that in female-only toilets.

Also there have been enough incidences of upskirting under cubicles and incidences of hidden cameras in work, public and hotel lavatories that it makes me less inclined to trust the intentions of some men frankly.

Yes I don’t like it especially as I feel vulnerable in the toilets, I don’t want to see men in there too.

Velvera seems* *determined that we shouldn't prefer single sex but I very,very much do! The stink and wee on the seats from men's or unisex toilets are far worse.

But ok if CEO is a woman?

Doesn't bother me.

When out drinking, I tend to go in the men's anyway as there's no queue. The men's toilets are always cleaner than the women's!

Yes I do frankly. Particularly at night. Walking in to an area where there are small enclosed spaces with lockable doors away from the rest of the public can seen quite intimidating. And of course that applies to men’s loos and unisex toos alike, but at least in single sex facility you are alerted to the presence of a lurking man straightaway and the men themselves are aware they shouldn’t be in there either.

Unisex loos are often not as hygienic as women’s single sex loos.

And in the past, when I was menstruating heavily, I would just feel more at ease using a women’s only facility. Ditto buying sanitary pads from a vending machine in the loo or rinsing out a moon cup. I would personally feel more comfortable doing this in front of female strangers or colleagues rather than random males or my male boss for example.

I also know women at work who have had a miscarriage in a women’s loo, suffered morning sickness, or who had a good cry in the single sex loo away from the scrutiny of men, or who have had to sort out leaky breasts when breast-feeding , so women’s loos can act as a bit of a refuge for many activities other than just the usual.

Having done summer hols by car ferry to France every year from early childhood, there is not much else over there so I’ve never minded them.

Women’s public loos also have pee on the seats and dribbles on the floor - or worst of all the results of flooding that won’t flush which I was subjected to in the last public loos in Richmond so I don’t think there’s that much difference in cleanliness. I’ve seen vile things in the ladies’ and obvs I don’t go into the men’s but I assume a different variety of vile. They’re loos.

It depends on how they are managed more than the sex separation for me.

In a local shopping centre the unisex loos are immaculate. Staff are constantly in and out cleaning and freshening, they feel safe and the shared area is open and spacious.

By contrast, the women's loos at Victoria station are disgusting and you have to queue in a humid stench pit for the pleasure of using them.

I've come across a lovely set-up in a bar where there is a big open space with a huge circular fountain for handwashing and then two (ungendered) rows of cubicles curving around the wall. You don't have to stand next to anyone to wash your hands, as there is so much space around the edge of the fountain, and the water is operated by a foot pedal, so no one is touching taps with their hands.

I'd much rather this arrangement than a dingy women's toilet where a random person could follow you in, and no one would know.

So, no unisex toilets don't bother me. What bothers me are badly-designed, unkempt, badly-lit, uncleanly toilets.

There’s certainly a sliding scale of how comfortable I feel in them, but given the choice I’d always choose single sex.

And no, sharing a loo in my own home is not the same.

One reason a lot parents on here use for not allowing their small male children into the men’s toilets alone, and the reason men seem to be encouraged to take small female children into the women’s, is to avoid having to see grown adults pissing in urinals. What will they all do when no matter where you may have to see that?

I went to the Yorkshire sculpture park a few years ago and walked into the loo area to be confronted with a great big bloke coming out! Thought I’d gone in the wrong door and scurried out thinking I’d got the wrong ones till I realised they were unisex! I had to get DH to go into the area with me as I felt really uncomfortable!

No, it doesn't feel any different to me than using a single sex toilet.

I can deal with festival toilets when I'm at a festival, I've been to many, but I would rather that wasn't the standard acceptable level of cleanliness!