Squirting is not purely urine, but it’s not completely separate from it either. The fluid that comes out during squirting contains many of the same chemicals found in urine, particularly urea and creatinine, but it also contains components that urine does not. The honest, evidence-based answer is that squirting fluid is mostly diluted urine mixed with secretions from glands near the urethra.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
A 2015 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine gave the clearest picture to date. Researchers performed ultrasounds and biochemical analyses on seven women before arousal, just before squirting, and just after. The squirting fluid contained urea, creatinine, and uric acid at concentrations comparable to those found in urine samples. However, five of the seven women also had prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in their squirting fluid, a protein that was absent from their regular urine samples taken before arousal.
That PSA comes from the Skene’s glands, two small structures located on either side of the urethra. These glands are sometimes called the “female prostate” because they produce the same protein found in male prostate fluid. So the fluid passes through the urethra, picks up secretions from these glands, and exits the body. It originates largely from the bladder but is not identical to a regular void.
Squirting and Ejaculation Are Two Different Things
One major source of confusion is that “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are often used interchangeably, but researchers now treat them as distinct phenomena that can happen at the same time.
Female ejaculation is a small amount of thick, whitish fluid, typically just a few milliliters. It comes directly from the Skene’s glands and is biochemically similar to some components of male semen, with high concentrations of PSA and prostatic acid phosphatase, plus glucose. It has lower levels of creatinine than urine.
Squirting, by contrast, produces a much larger volume of clear, watery fluid. This fluid has the chemical profile of diluted urine: urea around 417 mg/dL, creatinine around 21 mg/dL, and measurable uric acid. Its density is low compared to concentrated urine, suggesting the bladder fills rapidly during arousal and releases fluid that is more dilute than a typical bathroom visit would produce.
In practice, most women who squirt are releasing a mix of both fluids simultaneously. The large gush is primarily from the bladder, while the Skene’s glands contribute a smaller secretion that adds PSA and other non-urinary components to the mix.
Why the Bladder Fills During Arousal
The 2015 ultrasound study revealed something unexpected. Women who had emptied their bladders completely before the experiment showed noticeable bladder filling on ultrasound during arousal, sometimes within just 20 to 30 minutes. After squirting, their bladders appeared empty again on the scan. This confirms the fluid comes from the bladder, but it also raises the question of why the bladder refills so quickly during sexual stimulation. The kidneys appear to produce fluid at an accelerated rate during arousal, though the exact mechanism isn’t fully understood.
This rapid filling may explain why the fluid is so dilute. It hasn’t sat in the bladder long enough to concentrate the way urine normally does between bathroom trips. That dilution is part of why squirting fluid looks, smells, and feels different from urine to many people who experience it.
How Common Squirting Is
Squirting is far more common than many people assume. A Swedish cross-sectional study found that 58% of female participants had experienced ejaculation or squirting at some point. A separate US-based study put the figure at 41%. The variation likely reflects differences in how the questions were asked and how participants defined the experience, but either way, it’s something a large portion of women have encountered.
Despite how common it is, squirting carries significant stigma, largely because of this exact question: the worry that it’s “just peeing.” That stigma leads some women to suppress arousal or avoid certain types of stimulation. Understanding the biology can help put that concern in context. Yes, the fluid shares components with urine. But the process is tied to sexual arousal, involves glandular secretions that urine doesn’t contain, and appears to be a normal physiological response rather than a loss of bladder control.
The Bottom Line on What It Is
Squirting fluid is a dilute, bladder-derived liquid that also contains secretions from the Skene’s glands. Calling it “just pee” is an oversimplification. Calling it “not pee at all” ignores the biochemistry. The most accurate description is that it’s a unique fluid produced during arousal that shares its main pathway and some chemical markers with urine but includes additional glandular components that regular urine does not. It’s its own thing, even if the plumbing overlaps.