Yes, squirting is real. It’s a documented physiological response during sexual arousal or orgasm, reported by roughly 40% of adult women in the United States at some point in their lives. But the full picture is more nuanced than a simple yes or no, because “squirting” actually describes two related but distinct phenomena that involve different fluids, different sources, and different volumes.
Two Different Phenomena, One Name
Researchers now distinguish between two types of fluid release during sexual activity, even though most people use “squirting” as a catch-all term.
The first is female ejaculation: a small amount (a few milliliters) of thick, whitish fluid released from glands near the urethra. This fluid is chemically distinct from urine. Lab analysis shows it contains lower levels of creatinine than urine but elevated levels of proteins also found in male semen, just without sperm. It originates from the Skene’s glands, sometimes called the female prostate because they develop from the same embryonic tissue as the male prostate.
The second is what researchers specifically call squirting: a larger volume (10 milliliters or more) of clear, watery fluid expelled from the urethra during orgasm. This fluid comes from the bladder and is chemically similar to very dilute urine, though it’s been altered in composition. Some women experience one, the other, or both simultaneously.
Where the Fluid Comes From
The Skene’s glands sit on either side of the urethra and swell with blood flow during sexual arousal. They secrete fluid that helps with lubrication, and in some people, they release a milky substance during orgasm. This is the source of true female ejaculation, and the fluid contains proteins closely matching those found in the male prostate. Researchers believe these glands are the primary source of the smaller-volume ejaculate that many women produce without even noticing.
The larger-volume squirting fluid takes a different path. It fills the bladder rapidly during arousal and is expelled through the urethra at or near orgasm. Why the bladder fills during arousal, and why this fluid differs from typical urine, isn’t fully understood. But ultrasound studies have confirmed that the bladder can fill noticeably during stimulation and empty during squirting, even when a woman has urinated immediately beforehand.
How Common It Is
A U.S. probability sample of women ages 18 to 93 found that 40% had squirted at least once in their lifetime, with a median frequency of three to five times. Only about 20% of those who squirted reported that it always happened alongside orgasm, meaning squirting and orgasm are connected but not the same event.
Most women didn’t set out to make it happen. Around 65% discovered squirting unintentionally, either while exploring with a partner (about 52%) or on their own (about 14%). Only 11% were deliberately trying to squirt when it first occurred. That said, roughly 75% of women who do squirt reported using a deliberate technique to promote the buildup and release, suggesting it’s something many people learn to facilitate over time rather than something that just happens passively.
About 60% of women described squirting as very or somewhat pleasurable. The experience varies widely from person to person.
Squirting vs. Urinary Incontinence
Because some of the fluid involved in squirting originates from the bladder, a reasonable question is whether squirting is simply urinary leakage during sex. Urologists do recognize coital incontinence as a separate condition, and distinguishing between the two matters because incontinence during sex can signal a treatable bladder issue like an overactive detrusor muscle or stress incontinence.
The key differences: coital incontinence is typically involuntary, often distressing, and associated with urinary symptoms at other times (leaking when coughing, urgency, frequency). Squirting, by contrast, occurs specifically in the context of high arousal or orgasm, is often experienced as pleasurable or neutral, and doesn’t come with other bladder symptoms. The fluid composition also differs. While squirting fluid resembles dilute urine, it’s been chemically modified, and in many cases it’s mixed with prostatic secretions from the Skene’s glands.
If fluid release during sex is accompanied by other urinary symptoms or causes distress, it’s worth investigating with a healthcare provider. But squirting as part of an otherwise normal sexual response is a physiological event, not a sign of dysfunction.
Why There’s So Much Confusion
Squirting has been debated for decades partly because the anatomy involved is small and variable. Skene’s glands differ significantly in size from person to person, and some women have very small or even undetectable glands. This likely explains why some women ejaculate easily, others squirt large volumes, and others never experience either.
Pornography has also muddied the waters by presenting squirting as a dramatic, high-volume event that happens reliably on cue. The reality for most women is far less theatrical. Female ejaculation often produces so little fluid it goes unnoticed, and even larger-volume squirting typically happens unpredictably and varies in amount from one occasion to the next.
The science is clear on the basics: the fluid is real, the anatomical structures producing it are well documented, and a significant percentage of women experience it. What remains variable is who experiences it, how much fluid is involved, and how it feels, all of which depend on individual anatomy, arousal, and stimulation.