No, they are not the same thing. Female ejaculation (often called “cumming”) and squirting are two distinct physical responses that differ in fluid type, volume, source, and timing. They can happen separately or together, which is part of why they’re so often confused.
How the Two Fluids Differ
Female ejaculation produces a small amount of thick, milky, white or gray fluid. The volume is typically around 1 milliliter, less than a quarter teaspoon. This fluid comes from the Skene’s glands, two small structures located on either side of the urethra. These glands develop from the same cells that become the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” The fluid they produce contains proteins similar to those found in male semen.
Squirting, by contrast, involves a much larger volume of clear, watery fluid, ranging from about half an ounce to 3 ounces. That fluid comes from the bladder. In one well-known study, ultrasound scans confirmed that women’s bladders were completely empty before sexual stimulation began. A second scan just before orgasm showed the bladder had completely refilled. After the squirting event, the bladder was empty again. The fluid contains urea, a compound found in urine, though it’s generally more dilute than regular urine.
They Come From Different Places
The Skene’s glands sit right next to the urethra and drain through tiny openings near its opening. During arousal or orgasm, these glands can release their secretion. Because the volume is so small, many women may not even notice it happening, or they may feel a slight increase in wetness without a dramatic release.
Squirting fluid exits through the urethra as well, but it originates in the bladder. The body appears to rapidly produce and release this diluted fluid during arousal or orgasm. This is why squirting can feel like a sudden gush and produce enough liquid to soak through sheets, while ejaculation is much more subtle.
Timing Is Different Too
Female ejaculation is tied to orgasm. The International Society for Sexual Medicine defines it as a release of thick fluid at the point of climax. Squirting doesn’t follow the same rule. Some women squirt during orgasm, but others squirt simply from arousal or stimulation without reaching orgasm at all. The two events can also happen simultaneously, meaning the squirting fluid may contain traces of the thicker ejaculatory fluid mixed in.
How Common Each One Is
Estimates for female ejaculation vary widely depending on how the question is asked. Survey-based studies report that anywhere from 10% to 54% of women say they’ve experienced it, but those numbers rely on self-reporting, and many women may be describing squirting rather than true ejaculation. A more conservative clinical estimate puts actual squirting at roughly 5% of women. The wide range reflects how much confusion still exists between the two phenomena, even among researchers.
Both responses are completely normal. Not experiencing either one is also normal. The Skene’s glands vary in size from person to person, and some women have very small glands that produce little to no noticeable fluid.
Why the Confusion Exists
Both fluids exit through or near the urethra, both happen during sexual activity, and both involve a release of liquid. In everyday conversation and in pornography, “squirting” and “cumming” are used interchangeably, which blurs the distinction further. Even in medical literature, the two were lumped together for decades before researchers began treating them as separate events. A 2022 review published in Clinical Anatomy explicitly described them as “similar but completely different phenomena.”
If you’ve experienced a large gush of clear fluid, that’s squirting. If you’ve noticed a small amount of thicker, whitish fluid at orgasm, that’s ejaculation. If you’ve experienced both at once, that’s also possible. None of these responses indicates a problem, and none of them is something you need to try to make happen or prevent.