Squirting fluid is not exactly urine, but it’s not completely separate from it either. The most direct answer science can offer right now: the fluid released during squirting is primarily a very diluted form of urine, mixed with secretions from small glands near the urethra. It comes from the bladder, but its composition is chemically different from the urine your body normally produces.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
Researchers have analyzed squirting fluid and found it contains urea, creatinine, and uric acid, the same waste products found in urine. But the concentrations are significantly lower. One detailed case study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine described the fluid as having “features resembling those of much diluted urine.” The fluid is typically clear, watery, and mostly odorless, which is noticeably different from regular urine in color and smell.
What makes it more than just diluted pee is the presence of a protein called PSA (prostate-specific antigen), which is produced by the Skene’s glands, two tiny ducts that sit on either side of the urethra. These glands are sometimes called the “female prostate” because they produce secretions similar to those found in male prostate fluid. So the fluid that comes out during squirting appears to be a mix: mostly diluted bladder fluid, combined with prostatic secretions from the Skene’s glands.
It Comes From the Bladder
A well-known 2015 study used pelvic ultrasounds on women before, during, and after squirting. The results were clear. After each woman emptied her bladder, ultrasound confirmed it was empty. During sexual stimulation, the bladder rapidly refilled. After squirting, the bladder was empty again. This confirms the fluid passes through the bladder and exits through the urethra, the same opening urine comes out of.
This rapid refilling is a key detail. The bladder doesn’t normally fill that quickly during everyday activity. Something about intense sexual arousal triggers the kidneys or bladder to produce and accumulate this fluid over a short period. The exact mechanism isn’t fully understood, but the bladder is clearly involved as a reservoir.
Squirting and Ejaculation Are Two Different Things
One of the biggest sources of confusion is that “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually two distinct phenomena that can happen separately or at the same time.
Female ejaculation produces a small amount of thick, whitish fluid from the Skene’s glands. It’s rich in PSA and resembles a prostatic secretion. Squirting, by contrast, involves a larger volume of watery, clear fluid that comes from the bladder. Some women experience both simultaneously, which is partly why the fluid analysis shows a mix of bladder contents and glandular secretions.
There’s also a third possibility that researchers distinguish: coital incontinence, which is involuntary urine leakage during sex caused by pelvic floor issues or bladder disorders. Unlike squirting, coital incontinence is considered a medical condition. The fluid in that case is standard, undiluted urine. Squirting, on the other hand, is classified as a normal physiological response to sexual arousal.
How Common Squirting Is
Estimates vary widely depending on how the question is asked. A Swedish cross-sectional study found that 58% of participants reported experiencing ejaculation or squirting at some point, while a US-based study put the number at 41%. The International Society for Sexual Medicine notes a more conservative estimate of about 5% when looking at squirting specifically as a regular occurrence. The gap between these numbers likely reflects the difference between “has it ever happened” and “does it happen routinely,” along with the fact that many women may not distinguish between squirting, ejaculation, and normal vaginal lubrication.
Non-heterosexual women in the Swedish study reported squirting significantly more often, though the reasons for that difference weren’t explored in detail. The volume of fluid can also range enormously, from barely noticeable to over 100 milliliters in a single episode.
Why It Doesn’t Look or Smell Like Pee
If the fluid is largely from the bladder, it’s reasonable to wonder why it doesn’t seem like urine. The answer comes down to dilution and mixing. The fluid that accumulates in the bladder during arousal appears to be far more dilute than typical urine. It hasn’t been sitting in the bladder concentrating for hours. It’s produced rapidly, so the levels of urea and creatinine are much lower than what you’d find in a normal trip to the bathroom. On top of that, it mixes with the milky, PSA-rich secretions from the Skene’s glands as it passes through the urethra.
The result is a fluid that is chemically related to urine but physically distinct from it. Clear instead of yellow, largely odorless, and containing prostatic compounds that urine doesn’t normally carry.
What This Means Practically
If you or a partner experience squirting, the short version is: it’s a normal bodily response to sexual stimulation. It’s not a sign of lost bladder control, and it’s not “just peeing.” The fluid originates from the bladder and shares some chemical markers with urine, but it’s diluted and mixed with glandular secretions that make it a distinct fluid. Emptying your bladder before sex can reduce the volume but won’t necessarily prevent it, since the bladder refills quickly during arousal in people who experience this.
The science on this topic is still limited. Most studies involve small numbers of participants, and the exact mechanism that triggers rapid bladder filling during arousal hasn’t been pinned down. What researchers do agree on is that squirting and female ejaculation are two separate processes, both are normal, and the fluid involved is not identical to urine even though it shares some of the same ingredients.