Female ejaculation involves the release of fluid from small glands that surround the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. These glands, called the Skene’s glands, develop from the same embryonic cells that become the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” The process is more common than most people realize: surveys consistently find that 40 to 58 percent of women report experiencing it at some point.
The Anatomy Behind It
The Skene’s glands are two small structures that sit on either side of the urethral opening. They’re difficult to see with the naked eye, but ultrasound imaging has revealed glandular tissue surrounding the entire length of the female urethra. During sexual arousal, increased blood flow causes this tissue to swell.
The area where these glands are concentrated overlaps with what’s commonly called the G-spot, which isn’t a single spot at all. It’s a zone along the front wall of the vagina that includes the internal structure of the clitoris, the Skene’s glands, the urethra, and surrounding tissue. When this area is stimulated, the glands can produce and release fluid. Some women find direct pressure on this area pleasurable, and some experience ejaculation specifically from this type of stimulation.
Ejaculation vs. Squirting
Researchers now distinguish between two different types of fluid release, though the terms are often used interchangeably in everyday conversation.
“True” female ejaculation is a small amount of thick, milky fluid produced directly by the Skene’s glands. It contains a protein called prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the same enzyme found in male ejaculate, where it helps sperm swim. In women, this protein is produced by the Skene’s glands. The volume is typically small, sometimes just a few drops.
Squirting is a separate phenomenon involving a larger volume of fluid, sometimes up to several hundred milliliters. Chemical analysis shows this fluid is primarily dilute urine that has rapidly accumulated in the bladder during arousal, often mixed with secretions from the Skene’s glands. A 2015 study using ultrasound confirmed that the bladder fills noticeably during arousal and empties during squirting, even when the woman had urinated immediately before. In that study, five of seven women had PSA in their squirted fluid (a marker of Skene’s gland secretion), while two women’s fluid was chemically indistinguishable from urine.
One biochemical difference: glucose has been detected in true ejaculate from the Skene’s glands but not in squirting fluid.
What Triggers the Release
During orgasm, rhythmic contractions occur in the lower vagina, uterus, pelvic floor, and anus. These contractions are the same ones responsible for the sensation of orgasm itself, and they can create enough pressure to expel fluid from the Skene’s glands through the urethra. Some women also experience ejaculation during intense arousal without a full orgasm.
The process is involuntary. The swelling of the Skene’s glands during arousal fills them with fluid, and the muscular contractions of the pelvic floor push that fluid out. It’s loosely analogous to how the male prostate contributes fluid to ejaculate during orgasm, which makes sense given their shared developmental origin.
Why It Varies So Much
Not all women experience ejaculation, and among those who do, the frequency and volume differ significantly. Part of this comes down to anatomy: the size of the Skene’s glands varies considerably from person to person. Some women have well-developed glandular tissue surrounding the urethra, while in others these structures are much smaller. This natural variation likely explains why some women ejaculate easily, some rarely, and some never.
Survey data reflects this range. One study of 300 women found only about 5 percent reported ejaculation. A larger survey of 1,172 women put the number at roughly 40 percent. A 2023 U.S. probability sample found that 40 percent of adult women had experienced squirting at least once in their lifetime, with a median frequency of three to five times total. A 2024 Swedish study found 58 percent of participants had experienced ejaculation or squirting, with higher rates among non-heterosexual women.
The wide spread in these numbers likely reflects differences in how questions are asked, varying definitions of ejaculation, and the fact that small amounts of fluid can go unnoticed during sex.
What It Feels Like
Women who experience ejaculation often describe a sensation of building pressure, sometimes accompanied by a feeling similar to needing to urinate. This makes physiological sense: the fluid passes through the urethra regardless of whether it originates from the Skene’s glands or the bladder, and the nerve pathways overlap. Many women report that relaxing into this sensation rather than tensing against it is what allows the release to happen.
The ejaculation itself can occur alongside orgasm or slightly before it. Some women describe it as intensifying the orgasm, while others experience it as a distinct physical event. Research consistently finds that women and their partners tend to view the experience positively once they understand what’s happening. Much of the anxiety surrounding it comes from the worry that the fluid is urine, which, while partially true in the case of squirting, doesn’t capture the full picture of what the body is doing.
The Fluid Itself
True ejaculate from the Skene’s glands is a milk-like substance containing proteins similar to those found in male semen, most notably PSA. It’s distinct from normal vaginal lubrication, which is produced by the vaginal walls and Bartholin’s glands near the vaginal opening.
Squirting fluid, by contrast, is clear, thinner, and more watery. Its chemical profile is close to very dilute urine, with lower concentrations of urea and creatinine than a typical urine sample. When PSA is present, it indicates the Skene’s glands contributed secretions to the mix. In practice, many women produce some combination of both fluids, making it less of an either/or distinction and more of a spectrum.