Female ejaculation is a real physiological response that up to 50% of women experience at some point during sexual activity. It involves the release of fluid from small glands near the urethra during arousal or orgasm, and while not every person with a vulva will experience it, understanding the anatomy and techniques involved can make it more likely. Here’s what actually happens in the body and how to explore it.
What’s Happening in Your Body
Two small glands, each roughly the size of a blueberry, sit on either side of the urethral opening. These are the Skene’s glands, sometimes called the female prostate. During sexual arousal, the tissue surrounding them swells with blood, and they begin secreting fluid. This fluid is milky white, thick, and contains proteins similar to components found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and elevated glucose levels. It’s chemically distinct from urine.
The Skene’s glands vary in size from person to person, which likely explains why some women ejaculate easily and others never do. Women with larger, more developed glands tend to produce more noticeable fluid. This is normal anatomical variation, not a skill gap.
Ejaculation and Squirting Are Different
These two terms get used interchangeably, but researchers now treat them as separate events. Female ejaculation is a small secretion, typically a few milliliters of thick, whitish fluid from the Skene’s glands. Squirting is a larger gush of 10 milliliters or more of clear, watery fluid that originates from the bladder and exits through the urethra. The squirting fluid contains diluted urea and creatinine (markers found in urine) along with trace amounts of PSA, making it biochemically similar to very dilute urine but not identical to it.
Both can happen during the same sexual experience, sometimes simultaneously. Many women experience one without the other. Media coverage has focused heavily on the “is it urine?” question, but the more useful takeaway is that both responses are involuntary, harmless, and tied to intense arousal and pelvic muscle contractions.
The Role of the G-Spot
The Skene’s glands sit directly behind the front vaginal wall, in the same area commonly referred to as the G-spot. This is why internal stimulation of the front wall tends to be the most reliable path to ejaculation. You’re not pressing on a magic button. You’re stimulating the tissue that surrounds and engorges those glands, encouraging them to release fluid.
The G-spot area feels slightly ridged or spongy compared to the smoother tissue deeper in the vaginal canal. It’s located about 2 to 3 inches inside, on the belly-button side. During arousal, it becomes more pronounced and easier to locate because the surrounding tissue is swollen.
Techniques That Help
Start with plenty of arousal before any internal stimulation. The Skene’s glands need time to swell and begin producing fluid, which means spending 15 to 20 minutes (or longer) on external stimulation first. Clitoral stimulation, kissing, or whatever builds arousal naturally will make the internal tissue more responsive when you get to it.
For internal stimulation, insert one or two fingers (palm facing up) and curl them in a “come hither” motion toward the front wall. You’re looking for that spongy, slightly textured area. Start with gentle, rhythmic pressure and increase firmness based on what feels good. Some people respond better to consistent, pulsing pressure on the spot rather than a stroking motion. Others prefer a combination. There’s no single correct technique, so experimentation matters.
Curved toys designed for G-spot stimulation can also work well, especially for solo exploration, since they maintain consistent angle and pressure without the hand fatigue that fingers can cause.
Why Pelvic Floor Strength Matters
Your pelvic floor muscles play a direct role in orgasm and the expulsion of fluid. Research shows that pelvic floor strength (not just resting muscle tone) is positively associated with orgasm quality and sexual function. Stronger pelvic floor muscles give you more control over the bearing-down sensation that often accompanies ejaculation.
Kegel exercises build this strength. The basic version: squeeze the muscles you’d use to stop the flow of urine, hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then release. Repeat 10 to 15 times, a few times a day. Over several weeks, this can improve both the intensity of orgasms and your ability to consciously engage or relax those muscles during sex. The relaxation part is just as important as the strength. Ejaculation typically happens when you release and push out rather than clench.
The Biggest Barrier Is Mental
The sensation right before ejaculation feels remarkably similar to the urge to urinate. This makes sense: the fluid exits through the urethra, and the Skene’s glands sit right next to the bladder. For many women, this sensation triggers an instinct to clench and hold back. In one Swedish study, 74% of women who felt the fluid being expelled through their urethra had actively tried to suppress it at some point, compared to about 52% of those who didn’t localize the sensation there.
Emptying your bladder before sex removes the practical concern. Once you know your bladder is empty, that “need to pee” feeling during stimulation is actually the signal that ejaculation is close. Instead of tightening up, try bearing down gently with your pelvic muscles, the same way you would to push urine out. This is the moment most women describe as requiring a conscious decision to let go rather than hold back.
Placing a towel or waterproof pad underneath you can also reduce anxiety about making a mess, which sounds simple but genuinely helps. When you’re worried about your sheets, your body stays tense.
Hydration and Preparation
Staying well hydrated supports all fluid production in the body. While no study has directly measured the effect of water intake on female ejaculate volume, the Skene’s glands produce a water-based secretion, and overall hydration affects how much fluid your body has available for any secretory process. Drinking water throughout the day is a reasonable, low-effort step.
Before you begin, empty your bladder completely. This serves two purposes: it reduces the fear of urinating during sex, and it makes the G-spot area slightly easier to access because a full bladder pushes the front vaginal wall into a different position.
What It Feels Like
Women describe the sensation differently depending on whether they experience ejaculation, squirting, or both. The small-volume ejaculation from the Skene’s glands often goes unnoticed in the moment, especially if there’s already plenty of lubrication. You might only realize it happened by the slippery texture or a small wet spot afterward.
Squirting tends to be more dramatic. It involves a sudden release of warm fluid, sometimes in a visible stream, usually accompanied by intense pelvic contractions. Some women experience it during orgasm, others just before or after. The hormonal response mirrors what happens during any intense orgasm: a spike in oxytocin during climax, followed by a surge of prolactin that stays elevated for about an hour afterward, creating that deeply relaxed, satisfied feeling.
Not every session will produce the same result. Stress, hydration, arousal level, where you are in your menstrual cycle, and how much time you spend on buildup all influence whether ejaculation happens on a given day. Treating it as something to explore rather than a goal to achieve on demand takes the pressure off and, paradoxically, makes it more likely to happen.