Uncomfortable about unisex toilets at work

[Onlyinanemergency]

My workplace is moving to new premises and all the toilets are to be unisex. Apparently the bathrooms consist of several floor-to-ceiling cubicals opening out onto shared sinks. There is then a large window onto a public corridor so that the sink area can be seen from outside the bathroom. There are 3 of these bathrooms, one on each floor of the building, as well as 3 single disabled toilets. The architects have obviously put a lot of thought into creating toilets which are unisex but also fairly safe and private, yet I still feel really uncomfortable about the idea. Particularly about not being given a choice. Am I wrong?

Rinsing urine and feces off ones hands in the sink is unavoidable.

Is it?? It's unavoidable washing faeces down the sink? Like, enough faeces that it's particularly remarkable? Enough faeces that makes it comparable to emptying a mooncup; so, like, a cupful of faeces??

Gosh, every day's a school day when it comes to other people's toilet habits

For clarity I'm not especially fussed by menstrual blood, but then again I am far from the standards of cleanliness and hygiene expected on MN.

In case I was being obtuse, that was a roundabout way of saying I think the reason balk at emptying a mooncup in the same sink you wash your hands in is probably a question of volume rather than anything else.

But I can't obviously say for sure.

Would you not empty it down the toilet? Would you not leak while walking from toilet to sink and back again? It makes no sense.

@AntiGrinch I loved your explosion! You tell 'em.

"Would you not empty it down the toilet? Would you not leak while walking from toilet to sink and back again? It makes no sense. "
Although re-inserting it without cleaning it properly would be worse! As others have already said, although some people wipe it with toilet paper, this is apparently not recommended, so empty down loo, bring out, rinse out in sink, re-insert (or insert your spare?).

I see that there are also menstrual cups with valves where you don't have to take it out to empty -- but then I assume you'd get the hands looking like you'd just slaughtered a lamb effect???

Why so much shock at women doing what they need to do when it comes to sorting out their periods? It begins to sound like the yuck over breastfeeding saga all over again.................

You can drink menstrual blood without getting ill, like urine it's sterile. Faeces is another matter. SO yes, from a neutral perspective, a cup full of blood is less disgusting that shit on your hands.

Also, you buy cups in pairs, so yes, you carry a spare. Insert clean one, carry the dirty one to the sink and wash with hot water and soap and leave to air dry.

HTH

You can drink menstrual blood without getting ill, like urine it's sterile.

No it’s not always. Depends on the specific virus but generally if there’s viral load in the peripheral blood it’s present in menstrual blood too. Blood of any origin is a potential risk as is semen and faeces. Having said that viruses like HIV are fragile in the open air, and the chances of infection via such a route are minute.

In terms of the average person, faeces is probably the most infective and dangerous substance though.

In terms of washrooms and loos, the main danger is faecal contamination of surfaces. Surface contamination (fomite transmission) or viruses like flu, colds etc from handles etc are also fairly significant.

Well this has escalated. OP doesn’t want to pee next to Bob from accounts, 29 pages later and we’re on to drinking menstrual blood 😂🤮

What is the difference between emptying a cup and rinsing a cup?
Is there a difference? What are words and how do they work?

Does anyone remember Hugh Fairly Whafflingon cooking and eating placenta back in the 90s?

Troubled, in my defence, I'm just channeling Germaine Greer! Taking her point, as an aside, the revulsion of menstrual blood has become such an engrained norm it affects women's health and quality of life. I, as a woman, thought my own menstrual blood was an evil smelling thing. Until I used mooncups. Tampons don't allow the natural secretions wash away blood. Pads hold the blood in the air so it oxidises and smells. It's odd sometimes that when we find out we don't know our bodies as well as we thought we did (idem for monthly hormonal cycles, sex drive and ovulation - such a lack of women's education in the world ).

Rinsing urine and feces off ones hands in the sink is unavoidable.
Unless you choose not to wash and just let it rub off on everything you touch for the rest of the day.
Sorry! I had not considered that option when I said "unavoidable".

advising the male staff not to wipe shit on the wall

Tbf this has only ever happened in the ladies at my work

Speaking of men peeing everywhere while I think it's disgusting I can see how it happens and the mingers don't wipe it up but they're definitely not the only ones at it. I went to two pubs Friday night (in the ladies) and sat down twice by accidental on someone's gross wee (wasn't splash from flush because I looked when I flushed). I hate wiping up their bloody mess so the next person doesn't think it was me. It seems to happen quite a lot in pubs...I always wonder how they manage it??! Blergh, maybe some people are just gross. Also any ladies nightclub toilets I've been to usually resemble an open sewer.

Also any ladies nightclub toilets I've been to usually resemble an open sewer.
There are always posters suggesting women's toilets are minging, but I have never seen it.....not sure how I have avoided this common phenomenon

Didn’t mean it as a criticism, I actually think it’s brilliant this is being debated. It’s just my twisted sense of humour to be giggling at the direction this thread has taken. Especially now someone has brought up Hugh Fairly Whatsit eating Placenta. Let’s truly leave no stone unturned no mooncup unemptied in the name of bathroom privacy!

Same quentin

Ive certainly seen the odd drop of liquid on the toilet seat

But never shit and blood smeared walls etc

And some bloke the other day had managed to wee all over the back of the toilet...the bit where it touches the wall. No idea how he managed it

I obviously hang out in a much better class of loo

Unless you choose not to wash and just let it rub off on everything you touch for the rest of the day.

Lol I just can't really imagine how it gets on there in the first place; faeces in particular really; except perhaps when dealing with small children. I was just musing really.

Not rtft but I’ve never ever ever seen a woman emptying or rinsing a mooncup down a sink or washing blood stained hands 🤢. Really????

But I have seen and cleaned blokes loos and they do some weird stuff in there. As well as the normal detritus.

I wouldn’t want to share, but I’d hope the blokes would raise their standard knowing they’re sharing

I've said it once, I'll say it again. Have a mooncup protest. Sure as hell the men'll be clamouring for their own private space at the sight of a bit of blood.

Also, RE unisex toilets at home. We have 2 loos in our house. One is ostensibly used by me and the kids, the other by the OH. I have all my 'feminine hygiene products' in one bathroom, and OH can go peacefully into his to take his time and make smells to his heart's content. Anyone else have this arrangement?

In our house I share with dd and dh with the boys.

Anyone else have this arrangement?
Almost everyone I know. Not many truly old houses in the rural area where I live so most have two or more bath/shower toileting rooms.

flytipper

Two loos and you use whichever is free

No flushing if the shower is in use

Why do I have to convince other women that mixed sex toilets are bad? They can share with men if they want to

Because if you don't want new offices and public buildings to have them then you will have to convince the people who are building them and to do that you need other women and men (there are men who don't like the idea as well) on board with you to petition and lobby against it.

There is no point in just going on about women who want to share with men can if they want as if there were some sort of female lobby group behind this. There really isn't but there are women who don't particularly care.

I don't particularly care. It depends on what the layout is, what the purpose of the building is, what type of usage. In the few cases I've used them the set up was such that there could not possibly be a safety issue and so far as privacy unless someone can't bear the thought of anyone seeing them heading off to the loo, that wasn't an issue either.

I'm also a bit surprised at the number of people who get blood, urine and faeces on their hands.

I had diarrhea on a squat toilet in india

No bog roll...a bucket of cold water and no light

Good times

(And yes before anyone has a go at me...i know its not usual, but its one of the few occasions i have actually got poopy hands)

Just thought I'd share...you can thank me later

Thankyou Rufus