Female squirting is the expulsion of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It involves a combination of bladder filling, glandular secretion, and intense stimulation of internal structures near the front vaginal wall. The experience varies widely, and estimates of how many women experience it range from about 5% to 54%, depending on the study and how squirting is defined.
The Anatomy Behind It
Two small glands called the Skene’s glands sit on either side of the urethral opening. Each is roughly the size of a small blueberry, though they vary from person to person. These glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.”
During sexual arousal, increased blood flow to the area causes the Skene’s glands to swell. They produce a milky fluid that contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, including an enzyme called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This secretion is what researchers consider “true” female ejaculate, and it’s typically a small volume, sometimes just a few milliliters.
The clitoris also plays a central role, though not in the way most people picture it. The visible part is just the tip. The full structure extends in a wishbone shape behind the vaginal wall and into the pelvis. Stimulation of the front vaginal wall often activates these deeper internal portions of the clitoris, which sit close to both the urethra and the Skene’s glands. This overlap of sensitive tissue is why that area is so strongly linked to the squirting response.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
Research has identified two distinct components in the fluid released during squirting. The larger volume is chemically similar to very dilute urine. Ultrasound imaging in studies has shown the bladder filling rapidly during arousal and then emptying during the squirting event, with bladder volume dropping by roughly 100 mL. This happens even when a person has urinated immediately beforehand, suggesting the kidneys produce fluid at an accelerated rate during intense arousal.
Mixed into that larger volume, however, is a smaller amount of the milky secretion from the Skene’s glands. When researchers tested squirted fluid, they found PSA present in the samples of several participants, even though it wasn’t detected in their urine collected before arousal began. This confirmed that squirting fluid isn’t purely urine. It’s a blend: mostly a dilute liquid from the bladder, combined with glandular secretions that are biochemically distinct.
This dual composition explains why the volume can seem surprisingly large compared to what you’d expect from two blueberry-sized glands alone.
Why Some People Experience It and Others Don’t
The size and development of the Skene’s glands vary significantly between individuals. Some people have prominent, well-developed glands; others have very small ones or glands that produce minimal fluid. This anatomical variation is the most likely reason squirting comes easily for some and never happens for others, regardless of technique or arousal level.
Survey data reflects this wide range. In one population-based study of 233 women, 54% reported a spurt of fluid at orgasm. A separate mail survey of over 1,100 women found about 40% identified as having ejaculated. Meanwhile, a clinical study of 300 women put the number at less than 5%. The huge gap between these figures comes down to how each study defined ejaculation, whether participants recognized the sensation, and how comfortable they felt reporting it.
What Type of Stimulation Is Involved
Squirting is most commonly associated with firm, rhythmic pressure on the front wall of the vagina, roughly 1 to 3 inches inside, in the area sometimes called the G-spot. This region sits directly over the internal clitoris, the urethral sponge, and the Skene’s glands. Stimulating it activates all three structures simultaneously, which is why it’s more likely to trigger the response than external touch alone.
A “come hither” motion with one or two fingers, applying consistent upward pressure toward the belly button, is the technique most frequently described. The tissue in this area often feels slightly ridged or spongy compared to the smoother back wall of the vagina. During arousal, it swells and becomes more pronounced as the surrounding erectile tissue fills with blood.
That said, fewer than 1 in 5 women can reach orgasm from vaginal stimulation alone. Most need clitoral involvement as well. Combining internal pressure with external clitoral stimulation, either manually or with a vibrator, tends to produce the most intense arousal and is more likely to lead to squirting than either type of touch in isolation. Some people find direct clitoral contact too intense and prefer indirect stimulation through the labia or surrounding tissue.
What It Feels Like
Many people describe a building sensation of pressure, similar to the feeling of needing to urinate, just before squirting occurs. This makes sense anatomically: the Skene’s glands and urethral sponge are swelling with blood and fluid, pressing against the same nerve pathways involved in bladder fullness signals. The similarity to that “need to pee” feeling causes some people to tense up or pull back right before it would happen.
Relaxing into that pressure, rather than fighting it, is what people who squirt regularly describe as the key difference. The release itself can coincide with orgasm, but it doesn’t always. Some people squirt without orgasming, and many orgasm without squirting. The two responses involve overlapping anatomy but are physiologically separate events.
The volume of fluid varies from a barely noticeable dampness to a much larger gush. Neither extreme indicates anything about arousal level, health, or sexual function. It’s primarily a reflection of individual anatomy and how the body happens to respond in that moment.