Urophagia
Urophagia is the consumption of urine. Urine was consumed in several ancient cultures for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes. People have been known to drink urine in extreme cases of water scarcity; however numerous sources, including the US Army Field Manual, advise against it. Urine may also be consumed as a sexual activity.
Some male animals taste their female counterpart's urine to test fertility.
Human health warnings
The World Health Organization has found that the pathogens contained in urine rarely pose a health risk. However, it does caution that in areas where Schistosoma haematobium, a parasitic flatworm, is prevalent, it can be transmitted from person to person.Humans
As food
Emergency survival techniques
Survival guides such as the US Army Field Manual, the SAS Survival Handbook, and others generally advise against drinking urine for survival. These guides state that drinking urine tends to worsen rather than relieve dehydration due to the salts in it, and that urine should not be consumed in a survival situation, even when no other fluid is available.Aron Ralston drank urine when trapped for several days with his arm under a boulder. Survivalist television host Bear Grylls drank urine and encouraged others to do so on several episodes on his TV shows.