Prioritise yourself for just a minute, not for us, for you

Your bathroom isn’t just for showers and selfies—it’s where early signs of serious health conditions often show up first. Yet, nearly half of men and over a third of women skip this simple, life-saving self-check. Are you one of them?

Prioritising your health is essential. You know your body better than anyone, making you the first to notice any changes. The bathroom is the perfect spot for this; it’s private, convenient, and familiar, ideal for self-examining checks.

Using the NHS website, we identified visible symptoms that can be spotted in the bathroom as well as surveying 500 UK men and women to reveal their self-check habits.

Nearly half of men and over 1 in 3 women don’t check for lumps in the shower

According to the survey, nearly half (45%) of men don’t check for lumps in the shower, and over 1 in 3 (35%) women don’t either. 

On average, 20% of Brits spend less than five minutes in the shower, suggesting that they are not taking enough time to examine themselves and instead using the shower as just a washing exercise. 

Not for us. For you

At Victorian Plumbing, we encourage people to spend one extra minute in the bathroom to check for bodily changes that could save your life. Your bathroom can be the first step towards addressing very real issues that can be actioned in the doctor’s office.   

Almost two-thirds of conditions have symptoms most noticeable in the bathroom 

Our findings discovered that almost two-thirds (64.%) of all health conditions on the NHS website are most noticeable in the bathroom.

86% of male-specific conditions have symptoms more noticeable in the bathroom, such as prostate cancer. Similarly, over 82% of female-specific conditions have symptoms more noticeable in the bathroom, which can range from endometriosis to cervical cancer. 

It’s clear to see that the bathroom is ideal for highlighting these issues, but why? Dr Gareth Nye explains: “There are very few times during the day when you are fully undressed, have time and have access to warm water, scales etc…it is the best place in the house to undertake self-tests in a relaxed environment.”

He adds, “Thankfully many changes to the body are not serious however, the more people are aware of their body and what's normal, the better outcomes are when there is a serious issue. The earlier you notice the better your outcome if it is something serious. Being active and aware is your biggest tool in staying happy and healthy.”

Seeking professional help for health-related concerns

If you notice concerning symptoms, always consult trusted healthcare sources. 

For general guidance, visit the NHS website at www.nhs.uk, call 111 for non-emergencies, or dial 999 for urgent symptoms.

For condition-specific support, visit Cancer Research UK at https://www.cancerresearchuk.org or the British Heart Foundation at https://www.bhf.org.uk.

Giving thanks to Dr Gareth Nye, Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Salford, who has provided expert advice on self-examination and its importance when prioritising health. 

For a more in-depth exploration of the data, the conditions most visible from the bathroom, and more details on men's and women’s bathroom habits, please find the full study here. 

Methodology

Aiming to improve public health awareness, this study focused on identifying potential health indicators that individuals may observe during their daily bathroom routines.  By analysing NHS condition pages for symptoms related to bowel, bladder, genital, and oral health, a comprehensive list of bathroom-observable symptoms was compiled. This list informed a survey of 500 UK adults, investigating their self-examination habits and bathroom routines to assess potential gaps in health awareness.