Squirting is the expulsion of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It can range from a small amount to a noticeable gush, and studies estimate that anywhere from 10 to 54 percent of women experience it at some point, depending on how the question is asked and how broadly it’s defined. Despite how common it is, squirting has been poorly understood for decades. Recent research has clarified where the fluid comes from, what it contains, and how it differs from other types of fluid release during sex.
Where the Fluid Comes From
A key ultrasound study helped answer this question directly. Researchers scanned women’s bladders at three points: after urinating, during sexual stimulation just before squirting, and immediately after. In every participant, the bladder was empty after the initial urination, noticeably full just before squirting, and empty again right after. This confirmed that the bladder is the primary source of the larger volume of fluid released during squirting.
That finding surprises many people, because the fluid doesn’t always look or smell like typical urine. The explanation lies in how quickly the bladder fills during arousal. Rather than accumulating waste products over hours the way urine normally does, this fluid builds up rapidly during sexual stimulation, resulting in a more dilute liquid.
Squirting vs. Female Ejaculation
Scientists now treat squirting and female ejaculation as two related but distinct events that can happen at the same time. Squirting refers to the larger volume of dilute fluid from the bladder. Female ejaculation, by contrast, is a much smaller amount of thick, milky fluid produced by the Skene’s glands, two small structures located on either side of the urethra.
The Skene’s glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” During arousal, these glands swell with increased blood flow and can release fluid containing proteins similar to those found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). In the ultrasound study, five of seven women had PSA in their squirted fluid, even though it wasn’t present in their urine samples taken beforehand. This suggests that secretions from the Skene’s glands mix into the fluid as it passes through the urethra.
So what most people call “squirting” is typically a combination: mostly dilute fluid from the bladder, with a small contribution of true ejaculate from the Skene’s glands.
What Triggers It
There’s no single mechanism, but several factors tend to be involved. Stimulation of the anterior vaginal wall, the area commonly called the G-spot, is the most frequently reported trigger. This area sits close to both the Skene’s glands and the bladder, which helps explain why stimulating it can activate fluid release from both sources.
Other contributing factors include increased pelvic blood flow during arousal, activation of the Skene’s glands, bladder filling that occurs naturally during prolonged stimulation, and contractions of the pelvic floor muscles. Neurological reflex responses also play a role, though the exact nerve pathways haven’t been fully mapped.
What It Feels Like
Many women describe an initial sensation similar to needing to urinate, which then shifts into pleasure as stimulation continues. In one early clinical case study, a woman reported exactly this pattern when a physician stimulated the sensitive area on her anterior vaginal wall. The tissue around her urethral opening became visibly engorged, changed color from pink to deep burgundy, and pushed outward in the seconds before orgasm.
Interestingly, the same study found that the woman couldn’t tell the difference between orgasms that included fluid release and those that didn’t. Both felt the same to her. This suggests that squirting is a physical reflex that accompanies certain orgasms rather than a fundamentally different type of orgasm.
The “need to urinate” sensation leads some women to hold back during sex, tensing the pelvic floor to prevent fluid release. This is one reason squirting is more common when someone feels relaxed and isn’t anxious about what their body might do.
How Common It Is
Prevalence estimates vary widely. One population-based survey found that 54 percent of 233 women reported a spurt of fluid at orgasm. A large mail survey of over 1,100 women put the number at about 40 percent. On the low end, one clinical study reported just under 5 percent of 300 women experienced it. The wide range reflects differences in how researchers define the phenomenon, whether participants recognize it when it happens, and how comfortable they feel reporting it.
The variation in the Skene’s glands themselves also matters. These glands differ significantly in size from person to person, and some women have very small or even undetectable Skene’s glands. This anatomical variation likely explains why some women squirt easily, others do so occasionally, and some never do.
Squirting Is Not Incontinence
Leaking urine during sex, known as coital incontinence, is a recognized medical condition caused by bladder dysfunction, urethral weakness, or overactive bladder contractions. It can happen during penetration, physical exertion, or orgasm, and it responds to treatment.
Squirting, by contrast, is not considered a disorder. While the fluid does come partly from the bladder, the mechanism is different. Coital incontinence involves involuntary leakage due to structural or neurological problems in the urinary system. Squirting occurs in women with normal bladder function as part of the sexual response. Clinicians can distinguish between the two using imaging and bladder function testing when there’s uncertainty, but for most women the context makes the difference clear: squirting is linked to arousal and orgasm, not to sneezing, laughing, or other physical stress.