Female ejaculate is a fluid produced by small glands near the urethra during sexual arousal and orgasm. It’s a real, well-documented physiological response, though it has only recently been studied in detail. The fluid is distinct from regular vaginal lubrication and from urine, with a unique chemical profile that shares surprising similarities with components of male semen.
Where the Fluid Comes From
Female ejaculate is produced by two small structures called Skene’s glands, sometimes referred to as the “female prostate.” These glands sit on either side of the urethra, roughly the size of a small blueberry, with tiny openings that are nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. They develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate gland in males, which explains why the fluid they produce contains some of the same proteins found in male semen.
During sexual arousal, the tissue surrounding these glands swells. The glands secrete fluid that helps with lubrication, and during orgasm, they can release a small, concentrated amount of milky white fluid. This is true female ejaculate. It exits through the urethra, which is why it’s sometimes confused with urine, but its composition is chemically different.
What It’s Made Of
When researchers have analyzed female ejaculate and compared it to pre-sex urine samples from the same women, the differences are clear. The ejaculate contains lower levels of creatinine (a waste product concentrated in urine) but elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostatic acid phosphatase, and glucose. PSA is the same protein used as a biomarker for the male prostate. In female ejaculate, PSA concentrations have been measured at roughly 3,990 nanograms per milliliter, a level high enough that researchers have noted it could actually interfere with forensic tests designed to detect male semen.
There’s also evidence the fluid may serve a protective purpose. Its antibacterial properties could help shield the urethra from infection, similar to how these glands produce a lubricating substance during urination that helps prevent UTIs.
Ejaculation vs. Squirting
These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different physical events that can happen separately or at the same time.
- Female ejaculation is a secretion of a few milliliters of thick, whitish fluid from the Skene’s glands. It contains high concentrations of PSA and is chemically distinct from urine.
- Squirting is a larger release of roughly 10 milliliters or more of clear, watery fluid. This fluid comes from the bladder and is chemically closer to dilute urine, though it often contains traces of PSA as well.
The mechanisms are entirely different. Ejaculation is a glandular secretion. Squirting is an involuntary expulsion from the bladder during orgasm. Because both exit through the urethra and can happen simultaneously, they’re easy to conflate. Many people who experience a noticeable gush of fluid during orgasm are likely experiencing squirting, ejaculation, or both at once.
How Common It Is
Ejaculation and squirting are far more common than many people assume. Survey data from the US, Canada, Egypt, and Sweden consistently place the prevalence somewhere between 40% and 54% of women. A recent US study found that 41% of women reported experiencing squirting, and a Swedish cross-sectional study found an occurrence rate of 54%.
The wide range partly reflects differences in how studies define ejaculation versus squirting, and partly reflects that many women may experience small amounts of ejaculate without noticing it. The volume of true ejaculate (from the Skene’s glands) is often just a few milliliters, small enough to go undetected during sex. Gland size also varies from person to person, which likely affects how much fluid is produced and whether it’s perceptible.
How It Differs From Vaginal Lubrication
The wetness that occurs during arousal comes from multiple sources, and ejaculate is just one of them. Vaginal lubrication is primarily produced by the vaginal walls themselves through a process called transudation, where increased blood flow causes fluid to seep through the vaginal lining. Additional lubrication comes from the Bartholin’s glands, two pea-sized glands located deeper near the vaginal opening that produce a slippery, mucus-like secretion. These glands are the female equivalent of the Cowper’s glands in males, which produce pre-ejaculatory fluid.
So the body has three distinct fluid sources during arousal: vaginal transudation for internal lubrication, Bartholin’s gland secretions for lubrication near the vaginal entrance, and Skene’s gland fluid, which is the ejaculate. Each comes from a different location, has a different consistency, and serves a different function. Vaginal lubrication is slippery and clear. Bartholin’s secretion is thick and mucus-like. Ejaculate is milky, thinner, and contains prostatic proteins not found in the other two.