Women produce several different fluids during sexual activity, and the answer depends on what’s happening in the body at the time. There are three distinct types: vaginal lubrication during arousal, a thicker ejaculate released at orgasm, and a larger volume of dilute fluid sometimes called squirting. Each comes from a different source and has a different composition.
Vaginal Lubrication During Arousal
The first fluid most people notice is lubrication, which begins during arousal and continues throughout sexual activity. This comes from two sources working together. The vaginal walls themselves produce a clear, slippery fluid through a process called transudation, where increased blood flow to the area pushes moisture through the tissue lining. At the same time, the Bartholin’s glands, two small glands located near the vaginal opening, release a mucus-like secretion in response to nerve signals triggered by arousal. Together, these reduce friction and make penetration more comfortable.
This lubrication is mostly water with mucus proteins. The amount varies widely from person to person and changes with factors like hydration, hormone levels, stress, and where someone is in their menstrual cycle. It’s not tied to orgasm and can appear well before one, or without one happening at all.
Female Ejaculate at Orgasm
A second, less well-known fluid comes from the Skene’s glands, two tiny structures located on either side of the urethra. These glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the female prostate. During orgasm, they can release a small amount of thick, milky fluid that contains some of the same proteins found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
This ejaculate is distinct from lubrication. It’s thicker, whitish, and typically produced in a much smaller volume. Not everyone notices it, partly because the quantity can be very small and partly because it mixes with other fluids already present. The Skene’s glands also appear to play a protective role outside of sex, secreting fluid that helps prevent bacteria from entering the urinary tract.
Squirting Is a Separate Phenomenon
Squirting involves a larger volume of fluid released during or just before orgasm, and it’s chemically different from ejaculate. Studies that have analyzed the fluid, including ultrasound imaging of the bladder before and after, consistently find that the main component is dilute urine. However, in many cases the fluid also tests positive for PSA, suggesting it contains some secretion from the Skene’s glands mixed in. So squirting appears to be a combination of bladder fluid and glandular secretion, not purely one or the other.
The two phenomena, ejaculation and squirting, can happen independently or at the same time, which is part of why they’ve been so confusing to study. Some researchers now treat them as distinct events that share overlapping anatomy.
How Common It Is
Female ejaculation and squirting are more common than most people assume. A 2024 Swedish survey of over 1,500 women found that 58% had experienced ejaculation or squirting at some point. Among those who had, about half said it happened only on a few occasions, while around 7% said it occurred consistently. Similar surveys in the United States, Canada, and Egypt have reported prevalence rates around 41%, reinforcing that this is a normal physiological response rather than something rare.
Non-heterosexual women in the Swedish study reported experiencing it significantly more often, which researchers attributed partly to differences in the types of stimulation involved in sexual activity.
What Triggers the Release
The type of stimulation most commonly linked to ejaculation and squirting is pressure on the front (anterior) wall of the vagina, in the area often called the G-spot. This region sits directly over the tissue of the Skene’s glands and the surrounding nerve-rich area sometimes described as the internal clitoral structure. Stimulation here, whether from fingers, a toy, or a partner, is thought to put direct pressure on the glandular tissue beneath, which can trigger fluid release during orgasm.
Women who have described the sensation report a warm, rising feeling in the lower abdomen and pelvis, building tension, and sometimes a strong urge that feels similar to needing to urinate. That urge makes sense anatomically, since the fluid passes through or near the urethra. One participant in a qualitative study described it as an “enormously overwhelming wave of lust, shaking, shuddering.” Others noted it was pleasurable but produced a noticeable amount of fluid, which can be unexpected the first time it happens.
Why the Amount Varies So Much
Some women produce a barely noticeable amount of fluid, while others release enough to soak through sheets. This variation is partly anatomical. The size of the Skene’s glands differs significantly from person to person, and in some women they’re so small they’re essentially undetectable. Women with larger glands tend to produce more ejaculate. The degree of arousal, the duration and type of stimulation, hydration levels, and individual pelvic muscle tone all play a role as well.
None of these variations indicate a problem. Producing a lot of fluid, a little, or none at all are all within the normal range of sexual response.