Squirting is the expulsion of fluid through the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It can range from a small release to a larger gush, and researchers now distinguish it from a related but separate phenomenon called female ejaculation. While both happen during sexual activity, they involve different fluids, different volumes, and different sources inside the body.
Squirting and Female Ejaculation Are Different
For decades, any fluid released during orgasm was lumped under the term “female ejaculation.” Starting around 2011, researchers began drawing a clearer line between two distinct events. Squirting involves a larger volume of dilute, transparent fluid, typically 10 milliliters or more, released from the bladder through the urethra. Female ejaculation, by contrast, produces just a few milliliters of thicker, milky fluid from a pair of small glands near the urethra.
In practice, both can happen at the same time, which is part of why they were confused for so long. A person who squirts during orgasm may also be releasing a small amount of ejaculatory fluid simultaneously, making it difficult to tell the two apart without lab analysis.
Where the Fluid Comes From
The fluid involved in squirting is chemically similar to very dilute urine. It accumulates in the bladder during arousal and is expelled during orgasm. This doesn’t mean squirting is simply urination. The bladder fills rapidly during sexual stimulation in a way it doesn’t during normal daily activity, and the release is involuntary and tied to the orgasmic reflex rather than a conscious decision to urinate.
Female ejaculate, the smaller and thicker component, comes from the Skene’s glands. These are two small structures located on the lower end of the urethra. They develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” During arousal, blood flow to the area causes the tissue surrounding these glands to swell. The fluid they produce contains proteins similar to those found in male seminal fluid, including prostate-specific antigen.
In an anatomical study of 19 patients ranging from newborn to 86 years old, paraurethral glands were identified in 18 of them, suggesting this tissue is nearly universal. However, the size and development of these glands vary from person to person, which likely explains why some people produce noticeable ejaculatory fluid and others don’t.
How Common It Is
Estimates vary widely depending on how the question is asked and who’s being surveyed. In one population-based study, 54% of 233 women reported a spurt of fluid at orgasm. A larger mail survey found that about 40% of 1,172 respondents identified as ejaculators. On the low end, one clinical study put the number at just under 5% of 300 women.
These numbers likely reflect real differences in how people interpret the experience. A small amount of moisture might go unnoticed or be attributed to general lubrication, while a larger release is harder to miss. The wide range also reflects the fact that squirting doesn’t happen every time for most people who experience it. It can depend on the type of stimulation, the level of arousal, and individual anatomy.
What Triggers It
Squirting is most commonly associated with stimulation of the front vaginal wall, the area sometimes called the G-spot. This region sits close to both the Skene’s glands and the internal structures of the clitoris, creating a zone where pressure can stimulate multiple sensitive tissues at once. The clitoral complex extends much further internally than the visible external portion, and firm pressure on the front vaginal wall can engage both the deeper clitoral tissue and the glandular tissue surrounding the urethra.
The orgasmic response itself involves at least four separate nerve pathways: the pudendal, pelvic, hypogastric, and vagus nerves. Different types of stimulation activate different combinations of these pathways, which is why orgasms can feel quite different depending on whether they’re triggered by external clitoral stimulation, internal vaginal pressure, cervical contact, or some combination. Squirting appears more closely linked to intense internal stimulation, though it can occur with other types of arousal as well.
Some people find that bearing down with the pelvic floor muscles during orgasm, rather than tensing them, makes squirting more likely. Others report it happens unexpectedly with no deliberate technique. There’s significant individual variation, and not experiencing it is completely normal.
Why It’s Often Misunderstood
Because squirting fluid passes through the urethra and shares some chemical markers with urine, many people worry that they’re simply losing bladder control during sex. This concern leads some to suppress orgasms or avoid certain types of stimulation. The reality is more nuanced. The fluid does come from the bladder, but the process is driven by sexual arousal, not by the same signals that trigger normal urination. Researchers classify it separately from stress incontinence, which can also occur during sex but has different underlying causes and typically happens during penetration rather than at orgasm.
The volume also tends to be exaggerated in popular media. While pornography often depicts very large quantities of fluid, the actual amount most people experience ranges from enough to create a wet spot to soaking through a towel. Placing a towel or waterproof pad underneath is the most practical way to manage it without interrupting the experience.
Emotional reactions to squirting range widely. A large international survey published in BJU International found that the experience generally had a positive impact on sexual satisfaction for both the person squirting and their partner. For many, understanding the biology behind it removes the anxiety and allows them to simply experience it as part of their sexual response.