The thick, white or milky fluid sometimes produced during female sexual arousal or orgasm comes primarily from two small glands located on either side of the urethra, known as the Skene’s glands. These glands swell with increased blood flow during stimulation and secrete a mucus-like substance that can appear creamy in color and texture. The process is a normal physiological response, and roughly 40% of women in a U.S. probability sample reported experiencing some form of fluid release during sex.
Where the Fluid Comes From
The Skene’s glands sit just inside the opening of the urethra, on the left and right sides. They’re tiny and nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, but they play an outsized role in sexual response. When you become aroused, the tissue surrounding these glands swells as blood rushes to the area, and the glands begin secreting fluid. This milk-like secretion contains proteins that are remarkably similar to components found in male semen, which is why the Skene’s glands are sometimes called the “female prostate.”
The fluid itself is biochemically distinct from urine. Lab analysis shows it’s rich in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and glucose, while being low in creatinine, a waste product concentrated in urine. The glucose levels are higher than what you’d find in urine, though still 10 to 15 times lower than in male prostatic fluid. In short, this creamy discharge is a secretion produced by glandular tissue, not a byproduct of the urinary system.
Two Different Types of Fluid
Research has identified two distinct types of female ejaculation, and they often get confused with each other. The first is a small-volume, milky or creamy fluid that originates from the Skene’s glands. This is the true “cream” most people are asking about. It tends to be thick, whitish, and produced in relatively small amounts.
The second type is a larger-volume, clear fluid commonly associated with “squirting.” A 2015 study using pelvic ultrasounds found that during arousal, the bladder rapidly fills and then empties upon orgasm. This larger-volume fluid is chemically similar to dilute urine, though not identical to it, and it originates primarily from the bladder. Both types can occur at the same time, which adds to the confusion, but they are produced by different structures and have different chemical profiles.
What Triggers It
The creamy fluid from the Skene’s glands is released in response to sexual arousal and stimulation, particularly internal vaginal stimulation. The area along the front wall of the vagina, sometimes called the G-spot, sits right against the Skene’s glands and the surrounding tissue. Pressure on this area, often described as an upward “come hither” motion toward the belly button, can stimulate the glands and trigger fluid release.
That said, not every woman produces noticeable amounts of this fluid. The size of the Skene’s glands varies significantly from person to person, and some women have glands so small they produce little to no detectable secretion. Whether or not you experience it has no bearing on arousal, pleasure, or sexual health. It’s simply a matter of individual anatomy.
Why It Looks Creamy or White
The color and consistency come down to what’s in the fluid. The Skene’s glands produce a secretion containing proteins, enzymes, and sugars, giving it a milky, opaque appearance. This is similar to why male prostatic fluid appears whitish. The thickness can also vary depending on hydration levels, where you are in your menstrual cycle, and how much the glands have been stimulated. It’s sometimes mixed with regular vaginal lubrication, which is produced by the vaginal walls themselves through a process called transudation, where plasma seeps through the tissue lining during arousal.
The combination of Skene’s gland secretion and vaginal lubrication is what most people notice as the creamy wetness during or after sex. Both are normal responses to arousal, and the amount produced varies widely between individuals and even between different sexual encounters for the same person.
How Common It Is
For a long time, medical literature treated female ejaculation as rare or even nonexistent. That view has shifted substantially. A nationally representative U.S. survey of women ages 18 to 93 found that 40% had experienced squirting or ejaculation at some point in their lives. Convenience samples from other studies have reported rates ranging from 40% to 58%, depending on the population surveyed and how the question was framed.
Part of the wide range in reported prevalence comes from the fact that many studies don’t distinguish between the small-volume creamy ejaculate and larger-volume squirting. When both are grouped together, prevalence estimates range from about 5% to 55%. The takeaway is that producing noticeable fluid during sex is far more common than most people assume, and the historical reluctance to study female sexual anatomy left a long gap in understanding what was actually happening.
Lubrication vs. Ejaculation
It helps to understand that there are really three different fluids at play during female arousal. Vaginal lubrication begins within seconds to minutes of arousal as fluid seeps through the vaginal walls. This is typically clear and slippery. Skene’s gland secretion is the thicker, milky fluid that may appear during heightened arousal or at orgasm. And the larger-volume squirting fluid, when it occurs, is a watery, clear liquid from the bladder.
The creamy appearance people notice most often is the Skene’s gland secretion, sometimes mixed with vaginal lubrication. Beyond its role in sexual response, the Skene’s gland fluid also serves a protective function: it helps lubricate the urethral opening and contains antimicrobial properties that may help prevent urinary tract infections.