There’s no single reliable number for how many women can squirt, and that’s partly because researchers are still sorting out what “squirting” actually means in biological terms. Estimates in sexual health literature range widely, from about 10% to 54% of women reporting some form of fluid release during sexual activity. The spread is so large because studies define and measure the experience differently, and many women may not recognize or report it.
Why the Numbers Vary So Much
The biggest challenge with pinning down a percentage is that surveys rely on self-reporting. Some women may experience small amounts of fluid and never notice. Others may feel fluid release but assume it’s normal vaginal lubrication or even worry it’s urine, so they don’t report it. Cultural stigma plays a role too: in some contexts, women feel embarrassed about the experience and underreport it, while in others (particularly as squirting has become more visible in popular culture) women may be more inclined to identify with the experience.
Adding to the confusion, scientists now recognize that “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are likely two different things happening in the body. Much of the older research lumped them together, which muddied the data. More recent work treats them as separate phenomena, but that means older prevalence numbers are hard to interpret cleanly.
Two Types of Fluid, Two Different Sources
Current evidence points to women experiencing two distinct types of fluid release during sexual arousal or orgasm. Understanding the difference helps explain why prevalence estimates are so scattered.
Female ejaculation is a small volume of thick, milky-white fluid produced by the Skene’s glands, sometimes called the female prostate. These glands sit on either side of the urethral opening and swell with blood flow during arousal. The fluid they produce contains prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the same protein found in male semen. The volume is typically very small, often less than a milliliter, and many women may produce it without ever noticing.
Squirting is the expulsion of a larger volume of clear fluid that originates primarily from the bladder. A well-known 2015 study using pelvic ultrasounds found that participants’ bladders were empty before arousal, filled rapidly during the buildup to orgasm, and then emptied upon climax. Biochemical testing showed this fluid was chemically similar to diluted urine (containing urea and creatinine) but not identical to a normal urine sample. In an international survey published in BJU International, the volume women reported varied enormously: about 12% of respondents produced roughly a teaspoon, while over 25% reported more than 150 milliliters, which is about two-thirds of a cup.
What Makes It Happen
The Skene’s glands are central to the process. During sexual stimulation, the tissue surrounding these glands engorges with blood, similar to how erectile tissue works. They then secrete fluid that can be released during orgasm. The glands also play a day-to-day role in urinary health, producing a lubricating substance that protects the urethral opening and helps prevent urinary tract infections.
Not all women have Skene’s glands of the same size. Anatomical studies have shown significant variation, with some women having prominent glands and others having very small or nearly undetectable ones. This natural variation likely explains why some women squirt easily while others never do, regardless of technique or arousal level. It’s an anatomical difference, not a skill gap.
The type of stimulation matters too. Internal stimulation of the front vaginal wall (the area commonly called the G-spot, which sits directly over the Skene’s glands and surrounding tissue) is the most commonly reported trigger. But the experience is highly individual. Some women report it happening with clitoral stimulation alone, and others find it occurs only in specific positions or states of relaxation.
It’s Not Urinary Incontinence
One of the longest-running debates in sexual medicine has been whether squirting is simply involuntary urination. A systematic review comparing the two found clear differences. Squirting and female ejaculation are normal physiological responses tied to arousal and orgasm. Coital incontinence, by contrast, is a medical condition caused by urethral dysfunction or an overactive bladder muscle, and it requires treatment. The two can look similar on the surface, but their underlying causes are distinct.
The fluid composition also sets them apart. While squirting fluid does contain some of the same compounds found in urine (it passes through the bladder, after all), it also contains prostatic secretions that urine does not. And the thick, white fluid from true female ejaculation is biochemically comparable to components of male semen rather than urine. In 2001, the international body responsible for anatomical terminology officially renamed the Skene’s glands to “female prostate,” reflecting the growing consensus that these structures are functional, not vestigial.
What Most Women Actually Experience
The international survey in BJU International provides one of the more detailed snapshots. Among women who did experience ejaculation, there was a wide spectrum. About 30% reported releasing around 60 milliliters (roughly a quarter cup), making that the most common volume. But the distribution was spread across the full range, from barely noticeable to enough to soak through sheets.
Frequency varied as well. Some women reported it happening nearly every time they were sexually active, while others experienced it rarely or unpredictably. The survey also found that the experience generally had a positive impact on both the women and their partners, suggesting that for most, it’s a welcome if sometimes surprising part of their sexual response rather than something distressing.
The International Society for Sexual Medicine describes squirting as a natural, involuntary release of fluid through the urethra that can happen before, during, or after orgasm. The key word is involuntary. It’s not something women consciously control, and the inability to squirt doesn’t indicate any kind of dysfunction, just as the ability to do so doesn’t indicate superior arousal or orgasm quality. Bodies simply vary.