Women don’t have a prostate gland in the way men do, but they do have a structure that develops from the same embryonic tissue and performs similar functions. These small glands, located on either side of the urethra, are called Skene’s glands. In 2002, the Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology officially voted to rename them the “female prostate.”
What the Female Prostate Is
The female prostate consists of two small glands, each roughly the size of a blueberry, sitting on the left and right sides of the urethral opening. They’re also known as Skene’s glands, paraurethral glands, or periurethral glands. They’re difficult to see or feel from the outside, but they’re present in most women.
These glands were first identified in the 1600s and reappeared in anatomical literature in the 1800s, but they received relatively little scientific attention for centuries. The 2002 decision to formally call them the female prostate reflected growing recognition that they aren’t just vestigial leftovers. They’re functional glands with a composition and activity pattern that mirrors the male prostate in several ways.
Why It’s Considered a Prostate
Early in embryonic development, around the 5th to 7th week of gestation, all fetuses share a common structure called the urogenital sinus. In males, part of this tissue develops into the prostatic urethra and prostate gland. In females, the same region forms the urethra and the paraurethral glands. Because both organs originate from the same embryonic cells, they’re considered homologous structures, the same way ovaries and testes are counterparts of each other.
This shared origin explains why the female prostate produces many of the same chemical markers as the male prostate. Most notably, it produces PSA (prostate-specific antigen), the protein widely used as a screening marker for prostate cancer in men. PSA was long assumed to come exclusively from male prostate cells, but it’s now known to be produced in several female tissues, including the breast, the Skene’s glands, and amniotic fluid during pregnancy. PSA levels in women fluctuate with the menstrual cycle and tend to be higher in women with elevated androgen levels.
What the Female Prostate Does
The female prostate produces a secretion that is chemically distinct from urine. Analysis of this fluid shows it contains PSA, prostatic acid phosphatase, and glucose, components also found in male seminal fluid (minus the sperm). Its creatinine levels are lower than urine, confirming it’s a separate secretion rather than involuntary urination.
One leading hypothesis is that these secretions serve an antimicrobial purpose. By releasing protective fluid into the urethra during sexual activity, the glands may help flush out bacteria and reduce the risk of urinary tract infections, particularly those triggered by intercourse. Researchers predict the fluid contains antimicrobial compounds such as zinc, though this hasn’t been fully confirmed. The female prostate is also linked to female ejaculation, the release of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm.
Conditions That Affect the Female Prostate
Because the female prostate is small and not well known, problems with it are frequently misdiagnosed. Women with Skene’s gland issues often present with symptoms that look identical to a urinary tract infection: pain while urinating, painful intercourse, frequent urination, and recurrent UTIs. When standard UTI treatment doesn’t resolve these symptoms, a Skene’s gland cyst or abscess may be the actual cause.
Skene’s gland cysts are rare, and most are small, typically less than half an inch (about 1 centimeter). Many cause no symptoms at all and need no treatment. When a cyst does cause pain or urinary problems, treatment options include draining the fluid with a fine needle or a minor surgical procedure called marsupialization, which involves opening and stitching the cyst to keep it from refilling. Recovery from needle drainage takes a few days; marsupialization typically takes two to four weeks.
In extremely rare cases, the female prostate can develop cancer. Only about 15 confirmed cases of Skene’s gland malignancy have been reported in the medical literature. The median age at diagnosis is 71, and the most common sign is a painless lump near the urethra. What’s striking is that these cancers look nearly identical to male prostate cancer under a microscope, with cellular patterns resembling a high-grade prostatic adenocarcinoma. In all eight cases where PSA was measured, levels were elevated. Normal PSA in a postmenopausal woman is below 0.2 ng/mL; in one reported case, the patient’s level was 7.91 ng/mL.
Why This Matters
The female prostate is relevant for two practical reasons. First, it plays a role in urinary and sexual health that’s often overlooked. Women with chronic urethral pain, unexplained painful sex, or UTIs that keep coming back despite treatment may have a Skene’s gland problem that hasn’t been considered. The condition is likely underdiagnosed because many clinicians don’t think to look for it.
Second, understanding that women produce PSA changes how certain lab results are interpreted. An elevated PSA level in a woman isn’t meaningless. It could reflect normal hormonal fluctuation, pregnancy, breast tissue activity, or, in very rare circumstances, a malignancy of the female prostate. The biology of these glands is far more active and significant than their small size might suggest.