Squirting happens when fluid is expelled from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It’s a normal physiological response driven by small glands near the urethra that swell and produce fluid during stimulation. Estimates suggest somewhere between 10 and 54 percent of women experience it, making it far more common than many people assume.
What Causes the Fluid Release
The primary structures behind squirting are the Skene’s glands, two small glands located on either side of the urethra. During sexual arousal, increased blood flow to the area causes these glands and the surrounding tissue to swell. As stimulation continues, they secrete fluid, and in some women, that fluid is released in a noticeable gush during or just before orgasm.
The Skene’s glands are sometimes called the “female prostate” because they share structural and chemical similarities with the male prostate gland. The milky fluid they produce contains some of the same proteins found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This is a key reason researchers consider the Skene’s glands the source of female ejaculation rather than the bladder alone.
The size and development of these glands varies significantly from person to person. Some women have larger, more active Skene’s glands, which likely explains why some women squirt easily, others do so only occasionally, and many never do. None of these experiences is abnormal.
Where Stimulation Plays a Role
Squirting is most commonly associated with stimulation of the front vaginal wall, the area often referred to as the G-spot. This region sits directly over the Skene’s glands and the surrounding tissue. Pressure on this area during arousal effectively stimulates the glands from the outside, encouraging them to swell further and release fluid. That’s why internal, angled pressure toward the belly tends to be the type of stimulation most linked to squirting.
It’s worth noting that squirting doesn’t require orgasm. Some women release fluid during intense arousal without climaxing, while others only experience it at the moment of orgasm. The trigger is sustained stimulation of the tissue around the urethra, not orgasm itself, though the two often happen together.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
This is one of the most debated questions in sexual health research, and the honest answer is that the fluid is a mix. Chemical analysis shows it contains urea and creatinine, both markers found in urine. But it also frequently contains PSA from the Skene’s glands, a substance that urine does not normally contain. The fluid often resembles very dilute urine in its water content but includes prostatic secretions that make it chemically distinct.
For many years, doctors assumed squirting was simply urinary incontinence during sex, a condition called coital incontinence. That does exist as a separate phenomenon, but researchers now recognize that squirting involves glandular secretions that incontinence does not. The two can look similar from the outside, which is part of why confusion persisted for so long. The fluid expelled during squirting typically appears clear or slightly whitish and is largely odorless, unlike typical urine.
The practical takeaway: the fluid is mostly water with small amounts of both urinary and prostatic components. It is not “just pee,” but it does pass through the urethra and picks up some of the same chemical traces.
Why Some Women Squirt and Others Don’t
The variation comes down to anatomy more than technique. The Skene’s glands are not uniform across all women. Some are larger and more developed, while in others they’re very small or even undetectable. Women with more prominent glandular tissue are more likely to produce enough fluid for a noticeable expulsion. Ultrasound imaging has confirmed that this glandular tissue surrounds the entire length of the female urethra, but its thickness and activity differ from person to person.
Arousal level, pelvic floor muscle strength, comfort, and the type of stimulation all play a role too. Women who are deeply aroused and relaxed are more likely to experience it, partly because tension in the pelvic floor can prevent fluid release. Some women report squirting for the first time after years of sexual activity simply because the right combination of relaxation and stimulation aligned.
Is Squirting a Sign of Anything Medical?
Squirting is a normal physiological variation. It is not a symptom of a health problem, and it doesn’t indicate anything unusual about your anatomy. Some researchers have even proposed that the fluid release may serve a functional role in reproductive biology, though this remains an area of active study.
The main concern worth being aware of involves the Skene’s glands themselves. In rare cases, these glands can develop cysts or infections, which would typically show up as pain, swelling near the urethral opening, or discomfort during urination, not during squirting. If squirting is painless and occurs only during sexual activity, there is nothing medically concerning about it. The stigma around it has historically been a bigger issue than any physical one.