Squirting is the expulsion of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It’s a real physiological response, though it’s far less common than popular culture suggests, with an estimated prevalence of about 5% of women. The topic has been surrounded by confusion for years, partly because scientists now recognize that two distinct fluid responses exist, and they’re often lumped together under one label.
Squirting and Ejaculation Are Different Things
Research published in the journal Clinical Anatomy draws a clear line between two phenomena that most people treat as interchangeable: squirting and female ejaculation. They look different, come from different sources, and involve different volumes of fluid.
Squirting involves a larger release of transparent fluid, typically 10 milliliters or more, sometimes significantly more. This fluid exits through the urethra and originates from the bladder. Female ejaculation, by contrast, produces just a few milliliters of thicker, milky fluid secreted by small glands near the urethral opening. Both can happen during orgasm, and in some cases both occur at the same time, but the underlying mechanisms are entirely separate.
Where the Fluid Comes From
Ultrasound studies have tracked what happens inside the body during squirting. Before arousal, the bladder is typically empty. During sexual stimulation, it rapidly fills with fluid. After squirting occurs, the bladder appears empty again. The fluid itself contains urea and creatinine, two chemical markers found in urine, and chemically resembles diluted urine. This doesn’t mean squirting is simply urination. The rapid bladder filling during arousal is a distinct process, and the fluid’s composition is more dilute than normal urine.
Female ejaculation has a completely different origin. It comes from the Skene’s glands, two small structures located on either side of the urethra. These glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” During sexual arousal, the Skene’s glands swell with increased blood flow to the area. The fluid they produce contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a well-known marker of prostate tissue.
What It Feels Like and When It Happens
Squirting most commonly occurs during or just before orgasm, often triggered by stimulation of the front wall of the vagina. Clinical observations describe it as fluid expelled in gushes, sometimes alongside the smaller, thicker secretion from the Skene’s glands. Some women experience it consistently, while others may experience it only occasionally or under specific circumstances.
The sensation varies. Some women describe a feeling of pressure or fullness before the fluid is released, similar to the sensation of needing to urinate. Others don’t notice it happening until afterward. It can occur during vaginal stimulation, clitoral stimulation, or a combination of both. There’s no single “technique” that reliably produces it, despite what popular media often claims.
Why It’s Less Common Than People Think
Pornography has made squirting look like a routine part of sex, but clinical data tells a different story. Both squirting and female ejaculation are considered uncommon sexual responses. The estimated prevalence of around 5% comes from survey data, though exact numbers are difficult to pin down because many women may not distinguish between natural vaginal lubrication, squirting, and ejaculation.
The Skene’s glands themselves vary in size from person to person. In some women, they’re barely detectable. This anatomical variation likely explains why some women produce noticeable ejaculatory fluid and others don’t. It’s not a matter of arousal level, skill, or sexual response quality. The glands are simply larger and more active in some people than in others.
Is It Normal?
Both squirting and female ejaculation are classified as normal physiological responses. They’re not signs of a medical problem, and they don’t indicate urinary incontinence, though the two can sometimes be confused. The key difference is timing and context: squirting is linked to sexual arousal and orgasm, while stress incontinence occurs with physical exertion like coughing or sneezing.
Some women feel embarrassed or anxious about squirting, particularly because of the fluid’s similarity to urine. Understanding that the bladder is involved but that the process is driven by sexual arousal, not a loss of bladder control, can help reframe the experience. Not experiencing it is equally normal. The presence or absence of squirting says nothing about sexual health, satisfaction, or function.
A Possible Biological Purpose
One hypothesis, published in a 2024 paper, suggests that female ejaculatory fluid may play a role in reproduction. The PSA produced by the Skene’s glands appears to enhance sperm motility by helping dissolve the gel-like consistency of semen after it’s deposited. This would theoretically make it easier for sperm to move toward the egg. The idea remains a hypothesis rather than established fact, but it offers one possible explanation for why these glands and their secretions exist in the first place.