Squirting happens when fluid is expelled from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It involves a rapid filling and release of the bladder, combined with secretions from small glands near the urethra that are sometimes called the “female prostate.” The experience varies widely from person to person, and only about 5% of women report experiencing it regularly.
The Anatomy Behind It
Two tiny glands sit on either side of the urethra, known as Skene’s glands. They develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the female prostate. These glands have small openings that secrete fluid, and they swell during arousal as blood flow increases to the area.
During sexual stimulation, Skene’s glands produce a milky, mucus-like substance that contains some of the same proteins found in male semen, including an enzyme called PSA (prostatic-specific antigen). This secretion is what researchers call “true” female ejaculate. It’s typically a small volume, whitish in color, and distinct from the larger gush of fluid most people associate with squirting.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
This is where things get more nuanced than most people expect. Research distinguishes between two types of fluid that can be released during sex, and they often occur at the same time.
The first is the small amount of thick, whitish ejaculate from Skene’s glands. The second, which accounts for the larger volume people recognize as “squirting,” is chemically similar to very dilute urine. In a well-known ultrasound study, researchers had participants empty their bladders completely, confirmed emptiness with an ultrasound, then scanned again during arousal. The bladders had noticeably refilled. After squirting, the bladders were empty again. The fluid had clearly come from the bladder.
However, it’s not simply urine. When researchers analyzed the squirted fluid, five out of seven women had PSA present in it, an enzyme that wasn’t in their urine samples taken before arousal. So the fluid appears to be a mix: mostly dilute, modified bladder fluid with contributions from Skene’s glands. Two of the women in that study showed no chemical difference between their squirted fluid and regular urine, suggesting individual variation plays a significant role.
What Triggers Squirting
Squirting is most commonly linked to G-spot stimulation, clitoral stimulation, or a combination of both. It can happen during orgasm, but it doesn’t require one. Some women squirt without reaching climax, and many women who orgasm regularly never squirt at all.
Several factors seem to influence whether it happens. Anatomy matters: Skene’s glands vary in size from person to person, and some women have larger, more active glands than others. Nerve sensitivity in the area plays a role too. There’s also some evidence that pelvic floor muscle strength is involved. Women with stronger pelvic floor muscles may be more likely to experience the expulsion of fluid, possibly because those muscles contribute to the pressure changes that push fluid out through the urethra.
Relaxation is another commonly cited factor. Because the fluid exits through the urethra, the sensation can initially feel similar to needing to urinate. Women who tense up at that sensation may suppress the response, while those who relax into it are more likely to experience squirting.
Squirting vs. Urinary Incontinence
Because squirting involves the bladder and urethra, there’s an important distinction between it and coital urinary incontinence, which is involuntary urine leakage during sex. The International Continence Society considers these separate phenomena. Squirting is a physiological response to arousal, while incontinence is typically associated with pelvic floor dysfunction or bladder conditions.
The fluid involved in squirting can originate from the vagina, the bladder, Skene’s glands, or a combination of all three. The key difference is context: squirting is tied to high levels of sexual arousal and involves changes in the composition of bladder fluid, while incontinence can happen without arousal and involves standard urine. That said, the overlap between the two can make it genuinely difficult to tell them apart in some cases, which is one reason the topic has been debated in medicine for so long.
Why It Varies So Much
The estimated prevalence of about 5% comes from survey data, but that number likely underrepresents the full picture. Some women may squirt without realizing it if the volume is small. Others may experience it once and never again. The variation comes down to a combination of gland size, nerve distribution, pelvic floor tone, arousal level, type of stimulation, and individual comfort with the sensation.
There’s nothing abnormal about squirting, and nothing abnormal about never experiencing it. It’s one of many possible responses to sexual stimulation, not a benchmark of arousal or pleasure.