Squirting is the expulsion of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It’s a normal physiological response, not a sign of anything wrong. Despite how common it appears in popular culture, only about 5% of women report experiencing it, and the science behind what’s actually happening has only recently started to become clear.
What the Fluid Actually Is
This is the question most people really want answered, and the honest answer is: it’s a mix. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine used ultrasound scans and biochemical analysis to track exactly what happens during squirting. Researchers had participants empty their bladders, confirmed they were empty via ultrasound, then scanned again during arousal and after squirting. In every participant, the bladder noticeably refilled during sexual stimulation and was empty again after squirting. The fluid comes from the bladder.
But it’s not purely urine. When researchers analyzed the squirted fluid, five out of seven women had detectable levels of prostatic-specific antigen (PSA), an enzyme that wasn’t present in their regular urine samples. PSA is produced by small glands near the urethra called the Skene’s glands, sometimes referred to as the “female prostate” because they develop from the same embryonic tissue as the male prostate. So the fluid is chemically similar to very dilute urine, mixed with secretions from these glands. Two of the seven women showed no chemical difference between their urine and the squirted fluid at all.
This means squirting and “female ejaculation” are technically two different things. True female ejaculation involves a small amount of thick, milky-white fluid produced by the Skene’s glands. Squirting involves a larger volume of watery fluid that originates primarily from the bladder. In practice, most women who squirt are releasing a combination of both.
How It Happens in the Body
During sexual arousal, blood flow increases to the entire pelvic region, causing the tissues around the Skene’s glands to swell. These glands begin secreting fluid that contains proteins similar to those found in male semen. At the same time, the bladder fills rapidly with fluid, though the exact mechanism behind this quick filling isn’t fully understood.
The physical trigger varies from person to person. Some women experience squirting from clitoral stimulation alone, while others need deeper vaginal or G-spot stimulation. What’s consistent is the involvement of the pelvic floor muscles. Intense contractions of these muscles, the kind that happen involuntarily during orgasm, create pressure that momentarily overwhelms the urethral sphincter (the muscle that normally keeps the urethra closed). This releases the built-up fluid.
Brain imaging studies show that squirting activates reward circuits and pleasure-related brain regions. The nerve pathways involved overlap with, but are distinct from, those activated during clitoral stimulation alone, which helps explain why the sensation feels different from a typical orgasm for many women.
What It Feels Like
Women who experience squirting commonly describe a building sensation of pressure, similar to the feeling of needing to urinate, followed by a release. This is one reason many women instinctively hold back during arousal: the sensation is easy to confuse with urinary urgency. Both involuntary (autonomic) and voluntary muscle control play a role, meaning the experience sits somewhere between a reflex and something that can be partially influenced by relaxation or bearing down.
The volume of fluid varies widely. Some women produce a small amount that’s barely noticeable, while others release enough to soak through bedding. Neither extreme is abnormal. The experience can happen with or without orgasm, though it most commonly occurs alongside one.
Squirting vs. Urinary Incontinence
Because the fluid originates largely from the bladder, a reasonable question is whether squirting is just urinary incontinence during sex. Researchers have specifically investigated this distinction. Coital incontinence is a recognized medical condition caused by bladder dysfunction, such as an overactive detrusor muscle (the muscle that contracts to empty the bladder) or stress urinary incontinence. It’s a pathological sign that benefits from treatment.
Squirting, by contrast, is a physiological sexual response. The key differences: coital incontinence typically happens with penetration or physical pressure on the bladder regardless of arousal, feels involuntary and unwanted, and is associated with incontinence at other times too. Squirting is tied to arousal and orgasm, involves the Skene’s gland secretions mixed in, and occurs in women with otherwise normal bladder function. If you experience fluid loss during sex that feels unrelated to pleasure or arousal, or if you also have leakage during coughing, sneezing, or exercise, that points more toward incontinence than squirting.
Why Some Women Squirt and Others Don’t
The size and development of the Skene’s glands vary significantly between women. Some women have prominent glands that produce noticeable fluid, while in others these glands are much smaller or nearly absent. This anatomical variation likely explains a large part of why squirting is relatively uncommon. Differences in pelvic floor muscle strength, nerve sensitivity, and the specific type of stimulation also play a role.
Not experiencing squirting is completely normal, and experiencing it doesn’t indicate better arousal or stronger orgasms. It’s simply one of many possible physical responses during sex, shaped more by individual anatomy than by technique or arousal level.