Squirting is the expulsion of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It can range from a small amount to several hundred milliliters, and the fluid itself is a mix of diluted urine and secretions from small glands near the urethra. Estimates of how many women experience it vary widely, from about 5% to over 50% depending on the study, which reflects both genuine biological variation and differences in how researchers define it.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
This is the question most people really want answered, and the science is surprisingly nuanced. Researchers now distinguish between two related but different events that often get lumped together under “squirting.”
The first is female ejaculation in the strict sense: a small amount of thick, milky or whitish fluid released from the Skene’s glands, two tiny glands located on either side of the urethral opening. This fluid is chemically similar to male prostate fluid and contains prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the same protein measured in prostate screening for men. The volume is typically small, sometimes barely noticeable.
The second is squirting as most people picture it: a larger gush of clear, watery fluid that exits through the urethra. Chemical analysis of this fluid consistently finds urea, creatinine, and uric acid, all compounds found in urine. But it also sometimes contains PSA from the Skene’s glands, meaning it’s not purely urine either. The most accurate description is that squirting fluid is dilute urine mixed with glandular secretions.
In practice, both events can happen at the same time. A woman may release a small amount of milky ejaculate from the Skene’s glands alongside a larger volume of the clear, watery fluid. The two get mixed together, which is part of why the composition has been so debated.
Where the Fluid Comes From
A 2015 ultrasound study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine tracked what happens inside the body during squirting. Researchers performed pelvic scans at three points: after the women emptied their bladders, during arousal just before squirting, and immediately after. Every participant’s bladder was confirmed empty at the start. During sexual stimulation, the bladder noticeably refilled. After squirting, it was empty again.
This confirms that the bladder is the primary reservoir for the larger-volume fluid. The kidneys produce urine rapidly during arousal, the bladder fills, and the fluid is expelled during orgasm or intense stimulation. It passes through the urethra on its way out, picking up secretions from the Skene’s glands along the way.
The Skene’s glands themselves are small structures embedded in the tissue surrounding the urethra. High-definition ultrasound imaging has identified gland tissue running along the entire length of the female urethra, which is why researchers sometimes call this tissue the “female prostate.” These glands swell during arousal and produce a mucus-like substance that contributes to the fluid’s non-urinary components.
What Triggers It
Squirting is most commonly associated with stimulation of the front wall of the vagina, the area popularly known as the G-spot. This region sits directly against the urethral sponge and the Skene’s glands on the other side of the vaginal wall. In one of the earliest clinical case studies, a woman experienced orgasmic expulsion only when her G-spot was stimulated, never during clitoral stimulation alone. When the area was first touched, she reported feeling a need to urinate, which then shifted to pleasure with continued stimulation.
That initial “need to pee” sensation is something many women describe, and it makes anatomical sense. The pressure is occurring right next to the urethra and bladder. The similarity in sensation is one reason some women may suppress the response, assuming they’re about to urinate. Others learn to relax through that feeling, which often leads to fluid release.
Not all squirting requires G-spot stimulation specifically. Some women experience it from clitoral stimulation, blended stimulation, or even without direct genital contact. But internal pressure on the front vaginal wall is the most frequently reported trigger in clinical literature.
How Common It Is
Prevalence estimates are all over the map. In a population-based survey of 233 women, 54% reported a spurt of fluid at orgasm. A larger mail survey of 1,172 women found that about 40% identified as having experienced ejaculation. On the low end, one study of 300 women found only about 5% reported it. The differences come down to how the question is asked, what counts as “ejaculation” versus normal vaginal lubrication, and whether women even recognize or notice the fluid.
There’s also significant anatomical variation in the size of the Skene’s glands from person to person. Some women have more developed glandular tissue than others, which may influence whether they produce noticeable fluid. This is normal variation, not a medical issue, and neither experiencing squirting nor not experiencing it says anything about sexual health or function.
Why It Feels Different From Urination
Even though the fluid passes through the urethra and contains urinary components, women who experience squirting consistently describe it as distinct from peeing. The sensation occurs in the context of high arousal or orgasm, involves involuntary muscular contractions, and is typically accompanied by intense pleasure rather than the relief sensation of urination. The fluid itself tends to be more dilute than normal urine, often with less color and less odor, because the bladder fills rapidly during a short window of arousal rather than accumulating concentrated waste over hours.
The volume varies considerably. Some women produce barely enough to notice on the sheets. Others release enough to soak through bedding. Neither extreme is abnormal. If the experience is pleasurable and occurs during arousal, it’s a normal physiological response regardless of how much or how little fluid is involved.