Squirting happens when fluid is rapidly expelled from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. About 40% of adult women in the U.S. report having experienced it at least once in their lifetime. The process involves a combination of intense sexual stimulation, bladder filling during arousal, and secretions from small glands near the urethra. Despite how common it is, the physiology is only partially understood, and what’s happening in the body is more complex than most people realize.
What Happens Inside the Body
The key players are the bladder and a pair of tiny structures called the Skene’s glands, which sit on either side of the urethra. These glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, and they produce a milk-like fluid containing proteins similar to those found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker not typically present in regular urine.
During sexual arousal, blood flow to the pelvic area increases and the tissue surrounding these glands swells. At the same time, something unexpected occurs: the bladder fills rapidly. Ultrasound studies have confirmed this pattern. Researchers scanned women before arousal and found empty bladders. As stimulation continued, the bladders filled noticeably. After squirting, they were empty again. In one study, researchers went further: they emptied participants’ bladders, filled them with blue dye, and then stimulated squirting. The expelled fluid came out blue, confirming it originated from the bladder.
So the fluid is primarily from the bladder, but it isn’t exactly the same as normal urine. Chemical analysis shows it contains urea, creatinine, and uric acid (all urine components) but at lower concentrations than typical urine. It also contains small amounts of PSA, glucose, and fructose, substances that trace back to the Skene’s glands. The result is a dilute, mostly clear fluid that mixes bladder contents with glandular secretions.
Squirting Versus Female Ejaculation
These two terms get used interchangeably, but they describe different things. Female ejaculation refers to a small release of thick, milky white fluid that doesn’t gush out. It comes primarily from the Skene’s glands during orgasm and is typically only a few drops. Squirting involves a much larger volume, up to about 10 tablespoons, of clear, watery fluid expelled rapidly from the urethra. Most of that volume comes from the bladder.
In practice, both can happen at the same time. The Skene’s gland secretions may mix with the bladder fluid during squirting, which is why PSA and sugars show up in chemical analyses of squirted fluid. But the two processes have distinct sources, volumes, and consistencies.
What Triggers It
Stimulation of the anterior vaginal wall, the front wall closest to the belly, is the most commonly reported physical trigger. This area sits close to the internal anatomy of the clitoris and the Skene’s glands, and firm, rhythmic pressure there tends to produce the sensation most women associate with squirting. This region overlaps with what’s popularly called the G-spot, though that term is an oversimplification of a broader zone of sensitive tissue.
The experience isn’t purely mechanical, though. Research from the International Society for Sexual Medicine highlights psychosexual factors as a significant part of the picture. Arousal level, comfort, and mental engagement all play a role. Some women squirt easily during partnered sex, others only during solo stimulation, and many never experience it regardless of technique. The variation likely comes down to individual differences in anatomy (Skene’s gland size varies considerably between people), nerve sensitivity, and psychological factors like the ability to relax into intense sensation rather than tensing against it.
What It Feels Like
Women who experience squirting commonly describe a building pressure in the pelvis that feels similar to the urge to urinate. That similarity makes sense given the bladder’s involvement. One participant in a qualitative study described it this way: reaching a peak of excitement, feeling a tingling in the legs like the urge to urinate, and then the release happening. Others describe the sensation as a swelling pressure that builds suddenly during intense pleasure and then releases, followed by a deep sense of calm and ease.
That resemblance to needing to urinate is significant because it’s often the moment where squirting either happens or doesn’t. Many women instinctively tense their pelvic floor muscles when they feel that pressure, which can suppress the release. Women who squirt frequently often describe learning to relax into that sensation rather than fighting it. This is partly why the experience seems to have a learned component for many people: it’s less about finding a secret technique and more about recognizing and allowing a sensation that the body may initially interpret as something to hold back.
Why Some Women Squirt and Others Don’t
There’s no single anatomical feature that determines whether someone can squirt. Skene’s gland size varies widely. Some women have glands large enough to produce noticeable fluid, while in others they’re very small or difficult to locate on imaging. Since these glands contribute to the fluid and the sensation, their size likely plays some role in individual differences.
Pelvic floor strength and control also matter. A strong pelvic floor gives more capacity to either hold back or release fluid. Arousal level is another factor: the bladder-filling mechanism appears to depend on high levels of engorgement and blood flow to the pelvic region, which requires sustained, intense arousal. Women who report squirting most often describe scenarios involving prolonged stimulation and a high degree of psychological arousal, not just physical contact.
The 40% lifetime prevalence figure from a U.S. probability sample of women ages 18 to 93 suggests it’s a relatively common experience, though most women who had squirted reported it happening only three to five times total. For most, it’s an occasional event rather than a routine part of sex.