Squirting is the release of fluid from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It’s a normal physiological response that roughly 40% of adult women in the U.S. report experiencing at least once in their lifetime. Despite its prevalence, squirting is widely misunderstood, partly because it’s often confused with a related but distinct phenomenon called female ejaculation. The two involve different fluids, different volumes, and different sources inside the body.
Squirting vs. Female Ejaculation
Most people use “squirting” and “female ejaculation” interchangeably, but researchers now consider them separate events that can happen independently or at the same time. Squirting involves a larger volume of clear, watery fluid, typically 10 milliliters or more, released through the urethra. Female ejaculation, by contrast, produces just a few milliliters of thick, milky fluid from small glands near the urethral opening called the Skene’s glands.
The Skene’s glands develop from the same embryonic tissue that becomes the prostate in males, which is why they’re sometimes called the “female prostate.” The fluid they produce contains proteins similar to those found in male semen, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Squirting fluid, on the other hand, originates from the bladder and has a chemical profile closer to diluted urine, with comparable levels of urea and creatinine. However, in most women studied, squirting fluid also contained PSA that wasn’t present in their urine before arousal, suggesting the Skene’s glands contribute something to the mix even during squirting.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
A small but frequently cited study analyzed urine samples collected before arousal, squirting fluid itself, and urine collected after squirting. The concentrations of urea, creatinine, and uric acid were similar across all three samples, confirming the fluid passes through the bladder. But there was a key difference: PSA was absent from the pre-arousal urine in six of seven participants, yet it showed up in the squirting fluid and post-squirting urine for five of those seven. This means squirting isn’t simply urinating during sex. The bladder fills rapidly during arousal with a modified fluid, and secretions from the Skene’s glands mix in along the way.
How Squirting Happens
Squirting is most commonly associated with stimulation of the G-spot, an area on the front wall of the vagina about one to two inches inside. The G-spot isn’t a separate anatomical structure. It’s part of the broader clitoral network, meaning that stimulating it from inside the vagina is essentially stimulating the internal portions of the clitoris. A curved, upward “come hither” motion with fingers or a toy, pressing toward the belly button rather than thrusting in and out, is the type of stimulation most often linked to the response.
The tissues surrounding the Skene’s glands swell during arousal, and the glands begin secreting fluid. At the same time, the bladder appears to fill with a diluted fluid. During orgasm, or sometimes just before it, involuntary muscle contractions can expel this fluid through the urethra. Not everyone who experiences G-spot stimulation will squirt, and some people squirt from clitoral stimulation alone or from other types of arousal. The experience varies widely from person to person.
How Common It Is
A U.S. probability sample of women ages 18 to 93 found that 40% had squirted at some point in their lives, with a median frequency of three to five times total. That means it’s a relatively common experience, but also one that many women have only encountered a handful of times. Some people squirt consistently, others rarely, and many never do. None of these patterns indicate a problem. The variation likely comes down to differences in anatomy (Skene’s gland size varies significantly between individuals), arousal patterns, and the type of stimulation involved.
Squirting vs. Urinary Incontinence
Because squirting fluid passes through the urethra and shares some chemical markers with urine, it’s natural to wonder whether it’s the same thing as leaking urine during sex. It isn’t, though the two can look similar from the outside. Coital incontinence is a recognized medical condition that comes in two forms: leaking during penetration (usually caused by stress urinary incontinence) and leaking during orgasm (often related to involuntary bladder contractions). Both involve an underlying urethral or bladder disorder and typically require treatment.
Squirting, by contrast, is a normal sexual response. The key distinctions are context and pattern. Coital incontinence tends to happen predictably with physical pressure on the bladder, may occur outside of arousal, and is often accompanied by incontinence in other situations like coughing or sneezing. Squirting is tied specifically to high arousal or orgasm, doesn’t happen outside of sexual contexts, and isn’t associated with bladder control problems at other times. If you’re unsure which you’re experiencing, the pattern of when and how it happens is the most useful clue.
Why It Feels Different for Everyone
Some people describe squirting as intensely pleasurable, closely tied to a powerful orgasm. Others say it feels like a sudden release of pressure that’s satisfying but distinct from orgasm itself. A smaller number find it happens without much sensation at all. The volume of fluid also ranges dramatically, from a small gush barely distinguishable from normal vaginal wetness to a much larger release that soaks through sheets. Pornography has created unrealistic expectations about what squirting looks like, often depicting enormous volumes that don’t reflect typical experience.
There’s no health benefit or drawback to squirting. It doesn’t indicate stronger orgasms, better arousal, or superior sexual function. It’s simply one of many ways the body can respond to stimulation. Placing a towel down beforehand is the most practical preparation if you or a partner tend to experience it, and emptying your bladder before sex can help reduce any anxiety about whether the fluid is urine.