Squirting and peeing both exit through the urethra, which is why they feel so similar and why this question is so common. The short answer: squirting fluid is mostly diluted urine mixed with secretions from the Skene’s glands, two tiny glands near the urethral opening. So the real distinction isn’t a clean either/or. It’s more of a spectrum, and understanding what’s happening in your body can help you tell where you fall on it.
Squirting and Ejaculation Are Two Different Things
This is where the confusion starts. Researchers now distinguish between two separate events that often get lumped together under “squirting.”
Female ejaculation is a small amount of thick, whitish fluid released from the Skene’s glands (sometimes called the female prostate). These glands sit on either side of the urethra and swell during arousal as blood flow increases to the area. The fluid they produce contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and has lower levels of creatinine than urine. The volume is small, sometimes just a few drops, and it may not even be noticeable during sex.
Squirting is a larger gush of fluid, typically around 2 ounces, though it varies widely. Studies that had women empty their bladders before sex and then imaged them with ultrasound found that the bladder refilled rapidly during arousal and emptied during squirting. In one study where researchers had participants drink blue dye beforehand, the expelled fluid came out blue in every case, confirming the bladder as the primary source. However, the fluid also tested positive for PSA in four out of five participants, meaning it contained secretions from the Skene’s glands mixed in.
So squirting is mostly diluted, chemically altered urine combined with glandular secretions. It’s not “just peeing,” but the bladder is involved.
How the Fluid Differs From Regular Urine
Even though squirting fluid originates largely from the bladder, its composition isn’t identical to the urine you’d produce on a trip to the bathroom. Lab analyses comparing female ejaculate to pre-sex urine samples from the same women found key differences: the fluid had lower creatinine levels (a waste product concentrated in urine) and elevated levels of PSA, prostatic acid phosphatase, and glucose. These are compounds produced by the Skene’s glands, not the kidneys.
In practical terms, this means squirting fluid is typically more diluted than regular urine, often lighter in color, and less likely to have a strong urine smell. If you’ve noticed the fluid is mostly clear, doesn’t smell like your usual urine, and showed up during or near orgasm, that’s consistent with squirting rather than a simple loss of bladder control.
Signs It Might Be Urinary Incontinence Instead
Coital incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine during sex, is a separate issue and more common than many people realize. Prevalence estimates range from less than 1% to as high as 66% depending on the population studied, with higher rates among people who already experience stress urinary incontinence (leaking when you cough, sneeze, or exercise).
There are two forms. Penetration incontinence happens during initial penetration or thrusting and is usually related to stress on the pelvic floor. Orgasmic incontinence happens at climax and is linked to involuntary bladder contractions. A few patterns can help you tell the difference from squirting:
- Timing: Squirting typically happens at or near orgasm and feels connected to the buildup of sexual pleasure. Incontinence during penetration, before any orgasm, is more likely a pelvic floor issue.
- Sensation: Squirting often comes with a feeling of release or pressure that coincides with intense arousal. Incontinence tends to feel involuntary in a different way, more like the sudden urgency you’d feel outside of sex.
- Fluid characteristics: If the fluid looks and smells like your normal urine (yellow, concentrated, strong odor), that points more toward incontinence. Squirting fluid is usually more dilute and lighter.
- Pattern: If leaking also happens during non-sexual activities like jumping, sneezing, or laughing, incontinence is the more likely explanation during sex as well.
Coital incontinence is considered a treatable medical condition, often responsive to pelvic floor therapy. Squirting is a normal physiological response.
Why Your Bladder Fills Up During Arousal
One reason squirting feels so much like peeing is that your bladder genuinely does fill during sexual arousal, even if you emptied it right before. Ultrasound studies have confirmed this. The kidneys continue producing urine, blood flow to the pelvic region increases dramatically during arousal, and the Skene’s glands contribute their own secretions. All of this fluid collects in or near the bladder.
The “I feel like I need to pee” sensation many people describe right before squirting is real. The pressure on the bladder and urethra from internal stimulation (particularly of the front vaginal wall, where the Skene’s glands and surrounding tissue sit) creates a sensation nearly identical to a full bladder. For many people, relaxing into that sensation rather than clenching against it is what allows squirting to happen.
A Simple Way to Check for Yourself
If you want a practical test, try this: empty your bladder completely right before sex. If you still produce a noticeable amount of fluid during arousal or orgasm, that fluid was generated during the sexual experience itself, not stored urine you failed to release beforehand. It won’t eliminate the bladder’s involvement (the bladder refills quickly during arousal), but it reduces the chance that what you’re experiencing is simple incontinence.
You can also pay attention to the fluid itself. Squirting fluid that’s clear or very pale, with little to no urine odor, is consistent with the diluted, PSA-containing mixture researchers have identified. Fluid that’s darker yellow and smells distinctly like urine suggests more of a straightforward bladder release.
Ultimately, the biology here is messier than most people expect. Squirting involves the bladder. It contains components of urine. It also contains substances that urine doesn’t. For most people, the fluid is a mix, and that’s completely normal. The more useful question isn’t “is this pee?” but whether what’s happening feels connected to your arousal and pleasure, or whether it feels like an uncontrolled leak you’d rather not have. The first is squirting. The second is worth bringing up with a pelvic floor specialist.