Squirting happens when fluid is involuntarily expelled from the urethra during sexual arousal or orgasm. It’s a physical response that involves rapid bladder filling during stimulation, combined with secretions from small glands near the urethra. About 40% of adult women in the U.S. report having experienced it at least once in their lifetime, with a median frequency of three to five times.
What Happens Inside the Body
The clearest picture of squirting’s mechanics comes from a 2015 study that used pelvic ultrasound on seven women before, during, and after sexual stimulation. Each woman emptied her bladder before the session began, and ultrasound confirmed the bladder was thoroughly empty. As arousal built, the bladder refilled noticeably, sometimes within minutes. Immediately after squirting, ultrasound showed the bladder had emptied again.
This means the kidneys produce fluid at an accelerated rate during arousal, and that fluid collects in the bladder before being expelled. The expulsion itself is involuntary. It’s not something you consciously push out, and it’s not the same as urinating on purpose. The reflex appears to be triggered by intense stimulation of nerve-rich tissue surrounding the urethra, which sits in close proximity to the internal structures of the clitoris.
The Anatomy Behind It
Two small structures called the Skene’s glands sit on either side of the urethral opening. They’re roughly the size of a small blueberry, though their exact size varies from person to person. These glands are sometimes called the “female prostate” because they produce prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the same protein found in male ejaculate.
The Skene’s glands, the urethral sponge (a cushion of erectile tissue surrounding the urethra), and the deep structures of the clitoris are all interconnected. The area often referred to as the G-spot isn’t a separate organ. It’s the region where the urethral sponge, Skene’s glands, and internal clitoral tissue overlap, all packed with nerve endings. The clitoral surface is served by one nerve pathway (the pudendal nerve), while the deeper structures and the G-spot area are innervated by a different pathway (the pelvic nerve). Stimulation that reaches both pathways at once may explain why combined internal and external pressure is more likely to produce squirting than either type alone.
What the Fluid Actually Contains
This is the question that generates the most debate, and the honest answer is that squirting fluid is mostly dilute urine mixed with prostatic secretions from the Skene’s glands. The 2015 ultrasound study confirmed through biochemical analysis that the bulk of the expelled fluid comes from the bladder. But in most of the women studied, the fluid also contained PSA, which the bladder doesn’t produce. That component comes from the Skene’s glands and gets mixed into the fluid as it passes through the urethra.
The proportions vary. Some women produce a larger volume of dilute, mostly bladder-derived fluid. Others produce a smaller amount of thicker, milkier fluid with a higher concentration of prostatic secretions. Researchers now generally treat these as two overlapping phenomena: “squirting” refers to the larger-volume, more watery expulsion, while “female ejaculation” describes the smaller, gland-heavy secretion. In practice, most people experience some combination of both.
The fluid doesn’t look, smell, or behave exactly like regular urine. It’s typically more dilute, often clear, and the presence of PSA and other glandular secretions changes its character. Knowing that it originates partly from the bladder doesn’t make it “just pee.” The process that produces it is sexually driven, the composition is distinct, and the mechanism that fills the bladder so rapidly during arousal is not the same as normal urine production.
Why Some People Squirt and Others Don’t
Skene’s gland size varies considerably between individuals. Some people have well-developed glands that produce more secretions, while in others these glands are very small or difficult to detect. This anatomical variation likely plays a role in who experiences squirting and how much fluid is involved. The position of the urethra relative to the vaginal wall and clitoral structures also differs from person to person, which affects how much stimulation the urethral sponge and Skene’s glands receive during sex.
Pelvic floor muscle tone matters too. The muscles surrounding the urethra and vagina contract during orgasm, and stronger or more coordinated contractions may contribute to the expulsion of fluid. Some people report that squirting became more common after they became more familiar with their own arousal patterns or learned to relax their pelvic floor rather than tensing it during buildup.
Mental state plays a role as well. Anxiety about the sensation, particularly the feeling that you might urinate, can cause people to clench and suppress the reflex. The physical sensation leading up to squirting often mimics the urge to pee, which makes sense given that the fluid is collecting in the bladder. People who experience squirting regularly often describe learning to distinguish between the two sensations and allowing the release rather than fighting it.
Why the Body Does This
There’s no scientific consensus on the evolutionary purpose of squirting, but one hypothesis focuses on the PSA in the fluid. In male ejaculate, PSA breaks down proteins that clump semen together, which helps sperm move freely. Researchers have proposed that PSA released from the Skene’s glands during female sexual response could serve a similar function, further enhancing sperm motility and potentially improving the chances of conception. This remains a hypothesis, not a proven mechanism, but it offers a plausible biological reason for the glands and the fluid they produce.
The rapid bladder filling during arousal is harder to explain. It may simply be a side effect of the massive increase in blood flow to the pelvic region during sexual stimulation, which also increases kidney filtration rate. Whether the bladder component serves any function or is just a byproduct of intense arousal is still an open question.