According to Wikipedia (n.d.):

Bidets are common bathroom fixtures in many southern European countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia and Greece), some American countries (especially in South America, the bidet is a standard feature of homes in Argentina and Uruguay), some of Africa (especially Egypt and Morocco) and some parts of Asia (particularly in Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, India, and South Korea). Almost all houses in the Arab world (including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates) are equipped with bidets. … Although they do occasionally appear in North America…, they are much less common there than in Continental Europe, Central America and Asia (Wikipedia).

Although Wikipedia may not be an authoritative source, what can be gleaned from this source, when coupled with one's own knowledge, is most Americans do not have a bidet in the home.  Some Americans may have never heard of it or have even seen one.  For many people's budgets, bidets have become reasonably priced, so if the usefulness of bidets is better understood it may gain more popularity in American homes.   Quite similar in look to toilets, bidets consist of adjustable water jets and other amenities with the latest technologies that are mainly used as a personal cleansing system.   For example, bidets can be a one-piece toilet with an integrated washlet seat that features front and rear warm water washing, an automatic air drying system, and a deodorizer as found in TOTO's Neorest 550 toilet with washlet.  Whoopi Goldberg appeared to have a Neorest model in her home, based on a recent viewing of the Oprah show highlighting a rare showing of Whoopi's New York home.  For larger bathrooms, an elegantly styled one-piece bidet with vertical spray and rim wash from Danze's Orrington® collection, as an example, can be placed next to any decorative one-piece or two-piece toilet to separate the toilet from the bidet.  The bidet can then be used to wash other body parts or articles of clothing.   For those on a tighter budget, just adding a washlet seat like TOTO's S300 Washlet, for example, to an existing toilet can create a Spa ambiance where one can relax on an inviting heated seat that also can be adjusted to preferred warmth.  For sanitary reasons, toilet seats cannot be returned so precautions must be taken to ensure seats are the correct fitting for bowls prior to purchasing.  

Both males and females can use bidets to an advantage because it saves on the cost of excessive use of toilet paper.  Toilet paper, alone, is less effective for personal cleansing even though its use may be excessive.  If the cost spent on toilet paper each year was calculated, even for one person, a bidet would appear more cost-effective over time for individuals and families; not to forget that it provides better personal hygiene and fewer toilet paper rolls used over time. It could become easy to fall in love with bidets, given the benefits. 

Visit the bidets section of the InnovativeBathrooms.com website to learn more about different models, features, and pricing for bidets.  Bidets can give a bathroom the ambiance of a Spa retreat with heated seats, pressure-controlled aerated water, temperature-controlled air drying amenities and automatic air deodorizers with each use.    

Reference:

Bidet.(n.d.). In Wikipedia online. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidet on April 18, 2011.