Surveys estimate that between 10% and 54% of women have experienced squirting or female ejaculation at some point. That’s a wide range, and the reason it varies so much comes down to how studies define the experience, how women interpret the sensation, and the fact that “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are actually two different things.
Why the Numbers Vary So Much
The 10% to 54% range reflects a real problem in sex research: most data comes from self-reported surveys, and people define “squirting” differently. Some women may experience a small release of fluid during orgasm and not register it as squirting. Others may confuse it with urinary leakage, which is common during sex and affects a separate group entirely. The way a survey phrases its question can swing the results dramatically.
There’s also no large-scale clinical study where researchers directly observed or measured fluid expulsion in a representative sample of women. The clinical research that does exist typically involves small groups of women who already know they can ejaculate, which makes it useful for understanding the biology but not for estimating how common the experience is across the general population.
Squirting and Female Ejaculation Are Different
One reason the statistics are so muddled is that researchers now recognize two distinct phenomena that most people lump together under “squirting.”
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. These glands develop from the same embryonic tissue as the male prostate, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” The fluid they produce contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This release can happen during orgasm or high arousal and is often so small in volume that many women don’t notice it.
Squirting, on the other hand, involves a much larger volume of clear fluid, sometimes tens to hundreds of milliliters, expelled from the urethra. Biochemical analysis shows this fluid has the characteristics of very diluted urine, with low concentrations of urea and creatinine. Ultrasound studies have confirmed the fluid comes from the bladder, which fills rapidly during arousal and then empties during orgasm. In some women, this fluid also contains small amounts of PSA from the Skene’s glands, meaning both processes can happen simultaneously.
When surveys ask women about “squirting,” some respondents may be describing the large-volume gush, while others may be describing the smaller ejaculatory release, or both at once. This ambiguity inflates or deflates the numbers depending on interpretation.
Anatomy Plays a Role
Not every woman has the same anatomical setup for producing or expelling fluid during sex. The Skene’s glands vary considerably from person to person. Detailed anatomical studies have found that the paraurethral ducts (the channels that drain these glands) are not constant in number or location. In some women, they form extensive networks throughout the tissue surrounding the urethra, while in others they’re minimal or harder to identify.
This variation likely explains why some women ejaculate easily, others experience it rarely, and some never do. It’s not a skill issue or a matter of arousal intensity. The underlying plumbing differs from one body to the next. The Skene’s glands swell with blood flow during arousal and can release a mucus-like substance during orgasm, but how much fluid they produce and whether it’s noticeable depends on their size and structure in that individual.
What the Fluid Actually Is
The composition question matters to a lot of people who search this topic, so here’s what the research shows. In a detailed case study that separated the two types of fluid, the large-volume squirting fluid had a density and chemical profile consistent with very dilute urine. The smaller-volume ejaculatory fluid, by contrast, was biochemically comparable to components of male semen, particularly in its PSA concentration.
This means squirting is primarily fluid from the bladder, but it’s not simply urination. The bladder fills rapidly during sexual stimulation in a way it doesn’t during normal daily activity, and the fluid is more diluted than typical urine. The ejaculatory component, when present, adds prostatic secretions from the Skene’s glands into the mix. Many women experience both simultaneously, which is why the expelled fluid often tests positive for both urinary markers and prostatic proteins.
Is It Something Everyone Can Learn?
Popular advice often frames squirting as a technique anyone can master with the right stimulation. The research tells a more nuanced story. Given that the Skene’s glands vary in size and duct structure, and that the bladder-filling response during arousal differs between individuals, the capacity for noticeable fluid expulsion is at least partly anatomical. Some women may produce ejaculatory fluid in quantities too small to detect. Others may experience the bladder-filling response but not the muscular contractions needed to expel the fluid.
That said, many women who do experience squirting report that it first happened unexpectedly and became more frequent once they understood what triggered it. Stimulation of the front vaginal wall, where the Skene’s glands and surrounding erectile tissue sit, is the most commonly cited factor. Comfort, relaxation, and not actively trying to prevent what can feel like a urge to urinate also appear to matter. But the idea that 100% of women can squirt with enough practice isn’t supported by what we know about anatomical variation.