Female urination device

Overview
A female urination device or female urination aid is a small funnel which enables a woman to urinate while standing upright. This has a number of advantages, such as allowing her to remain clothed, avoiding contact with public toilets, and speeding up the process. Variations on the basic design include versions intended for use lying down or for providing urine samples, and the use of disposable or reusable materials.

History
Before about 1997, few such devices appear to have been widely available. However, a large number of very similar devices have been patented back as far as 1922. That model, the "Sanitary Protector" filed for in August 1918 by Edyth Lacy, specifies a "cheap device ...[to be] used but once, being especially suitable as a sanitary device in public toilet rooms." She notes that it is "accordingly unnecessary for the user to sit upon the closet seat; and the urine is led off without danger of soiling the clothes of the user or the closet". It was to be "made of a cheap readily destructible material, such as stiff paper, which can be readily disposed of after its use".

A similar device was patented in 1956: "an efficient urine conductor for use by females eliminating all need for contacting a toilet facility...usable while in a comfortable, erect standing position". Another half a dozen devices with the same basic purpose and form were patented by the end of the century.

The first device to reach manufacture and make an impact on the market appears to be the Urinelle, which originates from France, however Huikeshoven Medical BV from the Netherlands bought the rights for this product in 1997. Soon, other competitors appeared on the market, such as the Pmate developed by Dutch woman Moon Zijp, which appeared around 1999. This is a disposable cardboard funnel intended to be carried around and used in emergencies.

Soon after appeared the TravelMate, a reusable six-inch plastic tube which fits closer than the P-mate. It is marketed primarily for travelers, and with an attached tube allows use in confined spaces such as kayaks.

The "Shewee" invented by Samantha Fountain distributed in the UK to Canada, US, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Malta, New Zealand and Turkey is a portable urinary device that is just seven inches long and is lightweight enough to carry in a rucksack or pocket. It has a revolutionary design which is easy to use and has a liquid repellent coating therefore does not need to be washed between uses. The product is designed to prevent drips and splashes and can be used indoors or outdoors. It is reusable and comes with a ziplock bag. It is many applications and is intended for use as mentioned above and for women with incontinence concerns, back problems, hikers, campers, skiers, those that work away from conventional toilets like forestry workers and miners.

The Whiz Plus, distributed by Australian company WhizBiz of Brisbane, and JBOL in the UK, features a further refinement. It uses a material which repels liquid, removing the need to rinse the product between uses, and is also impregnated with an antibacterial and antifungal agent. In addition to previously mentioned benefits, it is intended for women with health problems such as arthritis, back pain, or low bladder control. It is also sold to travellers and at music festivals.

A variation of the product is the Whiz Midstream intended for giving midstream urine samples, reducing the risk of a contaminated sample and increasing the detection of urinary tract infections.

LaFemme(R), patented by Bill Cicio of Massapequa Park, New York USA in 1995, is the first flushable FUD attracting wide public interest and acceptance of this type of product in the United States.

Female urinals
Since the invention of the female urination device, the creation of female urinals has now become possible. At some major public events, such as festivals, where providing adequate toilet facilities is difficult, female urinals are now being provided. Pinkpop 2000 was the first event to do this, and the practice has now spread to events in "Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Finland, Ireland, and England".