Squat toilet

French "Squatter" toilet

A squat toilet is a toilet where the user squats. There exist two main types of squat toilets:

• the Turkish toilet where the user puts his or her feet on feet rests; the user faces the entrance to the stall; it is prevalent in Turkey and can still often be found in public buildings and at motorway services in France. In India too such a toilet is widely used and is referred to as the Indian water closet or the IWC in contrast with the EWC or European water closet or the Western style of toilet. It is also used in the Middle East and Thailand.
• the Japanese toilet is shaped differently, and the user faces the flush apparatus.

Squat toilets can be a shock to people used to sit-down toilets, and may be difficult to use for the unwary, especially if on trains or ships.

Arguments in favor of squat toilets are:

• squatting is believed to relieve and prevent virtually all colorectal disorders (constipation, Crohn's, colitis...)
• they are cheap to clean and maintain;
• they induce rapid user turnover (no time lost due to people reading newspapers etc...);
• more importantly, they do not involve any contact between the bare skin and a potentially dirty surface, thus reducing risks of contamination.