Squirting is the release of a noticeable volume of clear fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It can range from a small gush to several hundred milliliters, and it happens when intense stimulation triggers an involuntary expulsion of fluid that has collected in the bladder. While it’s become widely known through pornography, squirting is a real physiological response that researchers have studied in clinical settings using ultrasound imaging and biochemical analysis.
Squirting and Female Ejaculation Are Different Things
One of the biggest sources of confusion is that “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are often used interchangeably, but researchers now classify them as two distinct events that can happen separately or at the same time.
Female ejaculation is the release of roughly 1 milliliter of thick, milky white fluid from the Skene’s glands, small structures located on either side of the urethra. This fluid contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, which makes sense: Skene’s glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males. Some researchers call them the “female prostate” for this reason. The fluid they produce functions as part of normal sexual arousal and lubrication.
Squirting, by contrast, involves a much larger volume of clear fluid, tens to hundreds of milliliters, released from the urethra in a gush or stream. Biochemical analysis of this fluid shows it contains urea, creatinine, and uric acid, confirming that it originates in the kidneys and collects in the bladder. In other words, squirting fluid is dilute urine, though it often also contains small amounts of the proteins found in female ejaculate, suggesting both processes can overlap during the same sexual experience.
Where the Fluid Comes From
Pelvic ultrasound studies have tracked what happens inside the body during squirting. The bladder fills rapidly during high arousal, even if it was recently emptied, and then empties during orgasm or peak stimulation. This rapid filling and involuntary release appears to be a reflex response rather than a sign of urinary incontinence, though the distinction can feel unclear to people experiencing it for the first time.
The Skene’s glands contribute separately. These glands secrete fluid during arousal that helps with lubrication, and in some people they produce a thicker, mucus-like substance during orgasm. Because the Skene’s glands drain into the urethra, their secretions can mix with the larger volume of squirting fluid on the way out, which is why chemical analysis sometimes picks up both bladder-origin and gland-origin compounds in the same sample.
How Common It Is
Estimates vary widely depending on how the question is asked and who is surveyed. One cross-sectional study that combined self-reporting with biochemical testing found that about 69% of participants produced urethral fluid related to orgasm. Other surveys using broader populations have returned lower numbers. The variation likely reflects differences in anatomy (Skene’s gland size varies significantly between individuals), the type of stimulation involved, and whether people recognize or notice the fluid when it happens. Many people experience small amounts of fluid during orgasm without identifying it as ejaculation or squirting.
What Typically Triggers It
Squirting is most commonly associated with stimulation of the front wall of the vagina, roughly 2 to 2.5 inches inside, in the area often called the G-spot. This region sits close to the Skene’s glands and the internal structure of the clitoris, creating a concentration of sensitive tissue. Firm, rhythmic pressure on this area during high arousal is the most frequently reported trigger, though some people experience squirting from clitoral stimulation alone or from a combination of both.
Relaxation plays a significant role. The sensation that precedes squirting often feels similar to the urge to urinate, which leads many people to tense up and suppress it. Those who experience squirting regularly often describe learning to relax through that sensation rather than fighting it. This is also why it tends to happen more reliably with a partner or type of stimulation a person feels comfortable with.
Why It Feels Confusing
The fact that squirting fluid comes partly from the bladder creates understandable anxiety. Many people worry they’re urinating during sex, and that concern can be a source of embarrassment or avoidance. But the fluid is produced under specific conditions of high arousal, fills the bladder rapidly in a way that normal urination does not, and its composition is more dilute than typical urine. It is a physiological sexual response, not a loss of bladder control.
Pornography has added a different layer of confusion by presenting squirting as a dramatic, high-volume event that signals peak pleasure. In reality, the volume, force, and sensation vary enormously. Some people produce a small trickle, others a noticeable gush. Some find it intensely pleasurable, others barely notice it happening. It is not a reliable indicator of orgasm quality, and not experiencing it is equally normal.
A Long Medical History
Though squirting can feel like a modern discovery, written descriptions go back roughly 2,000 years. Aristotle described female fluid emission around 300 B.C., and ancient Chinese Taoist texts from the 4th century discussed female ejaculation as a known phenomenon unrelated to reproduction. The first scientific description of the glands involved came from Reinjier De Graaf in the 16th century, who identified the structures around the urethra and called them the female prostate. In 1952, gynecologist Ernst Gräfenberg published his influential paper on the role of the urethra in female orgasm, linking the area now named after him (the G-spot) to fluid expulsion during sex. The anatomy and function of the Skene’s glands as a source of female ejaculate is now well established in medical literature, even as research continues to refine the understanding of squirting as a separate but related process.