Squirting is the expulsion of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It’s a normal physiological response that occurs in some women, and research suggests fewer than half of women experience it. Despite its prevalence in popular culture, the science behind squirting has only recently become clearer, and it turns out the phenomenon is more nuanced than most people realize.
Squirting and Female Ejaculation Are Different Things
One of the biggest sources of confusion is that “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are often used interchangeably, but they are actually two distinct events with different origins and different fluids. Until about 2011, researchers lumped all orgasmic fluid expulsions together under one label. Current science draws a clear line between them.
Squirting is a relatively large release of dilute, transparent fluid, typically 10 milliliters or more, that comes from the bladder and exits through the urethra. Female ejaculation, by contrast, produces just a few milliliters of thick, milky fluid from a pair of small glands near the urethral opening. It’s possible to experience one, the other, both at the same time, or neither.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
A well-known 2015 study had participants provide urine samples before arousal, collected the squirting fluid itself, and then took another urine sample afterward. The squirting fluid contained urea, creatinine, and uric acid at concentrations comparable to urine. So chemically, it’s very similar to dilute urine, which makes sense given that ultrasound imaging confirms the bladder fills rapidly during arousal and empties during squirting.
There’s one important addition, though. In five of the seven participants, the squirting fluid also contained prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the small glands near the urethra. PSA was absent from the urine sample taken before arousal. This suggests that squirting fluid is primarily from the bladder but picks up secretions from these glands on the way out. It’s not simply urinating during sex, even though the chemical overlap is significant.
Where the Fluid Comes From
Two structures are involved. The bladder is the primary source of the larger volume of fluid released during squirting. Ultrasound studies confirm this: researchers have watched the bladder fill during arousal and then empty at the moment of squirting, even in women who had urinated immediately beforehand. The bladder can fill surprisingly fast under sexual stimulation.
The second structure is the Skene’s glands, sometimes called the female prostate. These are two tiny glands located on either side of the urethral opening. They produce a small amount of mucus-like fluid during arousal and orgasm that contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, including PSA. This secretion is what researchers now specifically call “female ejaculation” to distinguish it from squirting. The Skene’s glands vary considerably in size from person to person, which may partly explain why some women ejaculate and others don’t.
What Triggers It
Squirting is most commonly associated with stimulation of the front wall of the vagina, in the area popularly known as the G-spot. This region sits just beneath the tissue surrounding the urethra and the Skene’s glands. Pressure on this area during penetration or manual stimulation can create the sensation of intense arousal that some women associate with squirting. Clitoral stimulation, or a combination of both, can also lead to it.
There’s no single reliable technique that works for everyone. The G-spot itself is not a discrete anatomical button but a sensitive zone whose exact boundaries and responsiveness differ from person to person. Some women squirt easily and regularly, others only under specific circumstances, and many never do. None of these outcomes indicates a problem.
Why Some Women Feel Embarrassed
Because the fluid exits the urethra and shares chemical properties with urine, many women worry that they’re simply losing bladder control. This concern leads some to suppress arousal or avoid certain types of stimulation. The anxiety is understandable but largely misplaced. Squirting involves a different physiological process than stress urinary incontinence, even though both involve the bladder. The rapid bladder filling that occurs during arousal, the presence of PSA in the fluid, and the consistent association with orgasm all point to a sexual response rather than a loss of control.
Coital incontinence, which is involuntary urine leakage during sex, does exist as a separate condition. It tends to happen during penetration rather than at orgasm and is associated with pelvic floor weakness. If you’re unsure which you’re experiencing, the timing and context are the most useful clues: fluid released specifically at or near orgasm, particularly with G-spot stimulation, is far more likely to be squirting.
How Common It Is
Survey data suggests that fewer than 50% of women have experienced ejaculation or squirting during sexual stimulation. That number is approximate because self-reporting is tricky. Some women may squirt in small amounts without noticing, while others may experience it but not identify it as squirting. The wide variation in Skene’s gland size and anatomy also means that some women are simply more anatomically predisposed to producing noticeable fluid.
Whether or not you experience squirting has no bearing on sexual health, arousal levels, or the quality of orgasm. It’s one of many possible responses the body can have during sex, not a benchmark of sexual function.