If you have been to any public toilets, you might have noticed that the toilet seats on them are not the same as ones you use in your home. The front portion of the seat seems to be missing. If you have wondered what is going on here, you are not alone. Some countries mandate public toilets to use U-shaped seats because they are more hygienic than normal seats that cover the edge of the toilet bowl. You might also see them in countries that don’t really mandate the use of these seats because some establishments choose to do so to avoid the spread of diseases through contact.