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Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST — Written by Gabrielle Kassel — Updated on June 28, 2022
Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST — Written by Gabrielle Kassel — Updated on June 28, 2022
Medically reviewed by Stella Bard, MD
© 2005-2022 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. All rights reserved. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See additional information .
© 2005-2022 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. All rights reserved. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See additional information .
Squirting, also sometimes called female ejaculation, refers to the expulsion of fluid during G-spot stimulation in people with a vulva.
Jizzing. Female ejaculation. Making it rain. Tsunami of love. Whatever you call it, chances are you’ve got some Qs about squirting.
So, let’s start by getting the most pressing one out of the way: Yes, it’s real.
Great. Now that you’re ready for a lesson in squirting 101, scroll down.
“Squirting refers to the expulsion of fluid from folks with vulvas during sex,” certified sex coach Gigi Engle, author of “ All The F*cking Mistakes: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life .”
The fluid — which isn’t pure pee, but rather is a combination of urea, uric acid, and creatinine — is released by the Skene’s glands, which sit at the lower end of the urethra.
Although the terms “female ejaculate” and “squirting” are sometimes used interchangeably, Dr. Jill McDevitt, PhD, CalExotics ’ resident sexologist, notes that some people argue that ejaculating and squirting are two different things.
When someone squirts, Engle says, “it’s usually from G-spot stimulation , or clitoral and G-spot dual stimulation.”
She explains: The Skene’s glands , G-spot, and urethral sponge are all located in roughly the same area of the body.
“Typically, if you stimulate one thing, you likely stimulate them all.” And if you stimulate the Skene’s glands? Sometimes folks with vulvas squirt!
Squirting is known by many other names, including several slang terms like:
Squirting is also often referred to as “female ejaculation,” though not everyone with a vulva is female.
Additionally, though the terms are used interchangeably, some research suggests that the mechanisms involved in ejaculation and squirting are actually completely different.
That’s like asking what an orgasm or sex feels like: Everyone will have a slightly different answer.
According to Engle, “Some people say it feels nothing like an orgasm. While others note that it feels [similar], but slightly different from, an orgasm.”
“It’s intense. Like an extreme release. For me, I orgasm and then if my husband keeps touching my G-spot, then I squirt. It’s not really a similar sensation for me,” says Abby K., 42.
“Due to the pressure on the urethra , some people report feeling like they need to pee right before they squirt,” says Engle.
That’s the case for Joannie N., 29. “Right before it happens, I literally feel like I’m going to wet the bed. While it’s happening it feels like a really wet orgasm,” she says.
For some trans and nonbinary folks, squirting can be really gender-affirming. It is for Hunter C., 23, a transgender man who says, “Squirting feels to me what I imagine jizzing would feel like if I had a penis.”
“This is a highly contentious question,” says McDevitt.
Why? Because the studies on squirting — and there’s been a relatively fair amount considering how understudied the bodies of folks with vulvas and sex usually are — have conflicting results.
Scientifically speaking, Engle says it appears that anybody with a vulva has the “mechanics” required to squirt.
“But that doesn’t mean every person with a vulva can or will or does,” she says. Estimates suggest anywhere between 10 and 50 percent of folks with vulvas do.
McDevitt makes an important point: Being able to squirt isn’t “better” than not having the ability.
There are several common myths and misconceptions about squirting, including the belief that squirting is not even real.
However, though more research is needed to understand exactly how and why it happens, there is plenty of evidence to support the existence of squirting.
Another common myth is that anyone with a vulva can squirt. While there are several methods and sexual positions that may be beneficial, it’s estimated that only around 10-50 percent of folks with a vulva are able to squirt.
Some people also believe that the fluid expelled while squirting is nothing more than pee.
Interestingly, one study conducted in 2015 found that the fluid emitted during squirting does contain urine, but it also contains a compound called prostatic-specific antigen produced by the Skene’s glands, which are known as the female prostate.
Squirting typically comes (wink) down to either G-spot stimulation or G-spot stimulation combined with clitoral stimulation.
To make cleanup as easy as possible, start by prepping your surroundings. Lay a few towels down or a waterproof throw on the bed. You can find waterproof throws online .
Another option: Get it on in the bathtub.
“When I masturbate and plan to stimulate my G-spot, I get in the tub so I don’t have to worry about getting everything wet,” says Christine B., 31. Makes sense!
How much fluid you expel varies person to person. Some folks release a teaspoon amount. Others gush. Might as well prep for a super-soaker.
Light candles, put on PartyNextDoor (or whatever’s on your Sexy Time playlist), put your phone on airplane mode, and place the lube and toys within reach.
Finally, when you’re good and turned on, it’s time to give your G-spot and clit some love.
“The G-spot is located a few inches inside the front vaginal wall,” says McDevitt. If you’re looking for it with your fingers, feel for something slightly spongier.
If you’re looking to explore squirting during partnered sex, any sex act or position that stimulates your G-spot and clit at the same time can work. Below, three to try.
If your partner has a penis or dildo, doggy style provides the perfect angle for them to reach the front vaginal wall where the G-spot is.
“Manual stimulation is more likely to make someone squirt than penis-in-vagina or dildo-in-vagina intercourse,” according to Engle.
Her recommendation: Have the receiving partner touch their own clit. Or, have the giving partner perform cunnilingus as they finger you.
Both experts say that the nonvibrating njoy Pure Wand — which can be used with a partner or by yourself — is particularly well-suited for G-spot play.
You don’t need a partner to squirt. “If you’re someone who squirts, you can definitely make yourself squirt during masturbation ,” confirms Engle.
Do what you need to do to switch off your work or family brain.
According to Engle, “If you’re not relaxed, holding yourself back, not in the right mindset, or not giving yourself over to the full sensation, it’s unlikely you’ll be relaxed enough to squirt.”
You can’t go from go-to-O even in your solo sex life!
Warm-up by touching your neck, ears, inner thigh, lower stomach, and nipples with your fingers, a vibrator, or a sensation toy like the Wartenberg wheel or feather teaser.
“Use whatever stimulation you usually use to get revved up, then touch your clit,” says Engle.
You might opt for a clit stimulation toy. She recommends a clit suction toy like the Womanizer, which uses pleasure air technology to stimulate oral sex. Find it online .
The G-spot becomes more pronounced when you’re aroused, so wait until you’re super turned on to find it.
“While touching your clitoris, use a wand or your fingers to locate your G-spot and massage it,” instructs Engle.
You can find sex toys that stimulate your G-spot and clit at the same time online:
Like other erogenous zones, how and if the G-spot is pleasurable varies person to person.
So if you don’t feel anything or find the sensation annoying, don’t worry! There’s nothing wrong with you.
Some folks will feel like they need to pee before they squirt. If you feel that way, it’s a sign squirting may be on your horizon.
Stop when you’re done, not because you think you have to pee.
As the cliché goes, practice makes a squirter. Kidding!
But really, whether you squirt or not, continue to explore your body with no expectations.
Most important: Don’t put pressure on your partner to squirt or make them feel “less than” if they can’t or don’t.
Also, don’t assume penetrative sex is the best way to make it happen. It’s not, according to Engle.
Once you’re in the right mindset, follow these steps:
PSA: Any sexually transmitted infection (STI) that’s transmitted through bodily fluid can be transmitted through the fluid released by squirting. This includes:
To protect yourself, wear a glove or finger condom during manual-genital stimulation, a dental dam if oral stimulation is involved, or an internal or external condom for vaginal or anal penetrative sex.
Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes you try forever and experience it for the first time in your 60s.
“There is nothing wrong with not being able to squirt,” says Engle. “Whether you squirt or not, however you experience pleasure is perfectly valid and should be celebrated.”
Heck no! There’s no reason to stop unless you or your partner are done playing and… want to go get pizza (or something!).
There are P-L-E-N-T-Y of other things you can do if you’re still in the mood.
Exploring whether you squirt can be a fun way to learn more about your body.
Squirting is just one of the (many, many, many) sexy things some bodies do. So if you don’t or haven’t, no big!
Gabrielle Kassel is a New York–based sex and wellness writer and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. She’s become a morning person, tested over 200 vibrators, and eaten, drunk, and brushed with charcoal — all in the name of journalism. In her free time, she can be found reading self-help books and romance novels, bench-pressing, or pole dancing. Follow her on Instagram .
Last medically reviewed on June 28, 2022

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" Is This Normal?" is a weekly series that addresses everything you've ever wondered about sexual health and your body. This week: squirting.
There's a lot of conflicting information out there about female ejaculation, or more colloquially, squirting . It is perhaps the greatest mystery of our time. At this point, it's practically mythology (previously compared to urban legends of Loch Ness proportions). Squirting is a myth , they say. Or no — squirting is real, and here's how you can achieve it . Careful though, because it's actually just pee . Actually it's #NotPee . OK, squirting is real and possible, but only if you're a woman who has a prostate gland . All this has been said and more, and oh my god , why are people so easily shook by the idea of female ejaculation?
The big rift in the War On Squirting lies between questionable scientific research and the personal experiences of women. Research teams will seemingly have made up their minds about squirting, and then women on the Internet clap back, angered by the fact that scientists say something they swear they've experienced can't possibly be real. You'd be frustrated, too, if a bunch of (mostly male) scientists were trying to tell you the immense pleasure you feel sometimes is total bullshit.
To help clear things up, Cosmopolitan.com spoke with Carol Queen , staff sexologist and researcher at Good Vibrations, a feminist adult toy shop and education center in San Francisco, to shine some much-needed light on the highly controversial phenomenon of squirting.
A thing that almost always comes up (heeheehee) when discussing squirting is the Skene's gland. No one knows for sure where this mystery vagina fluid comes from, but that's the most likely and common answer to the question of squirting. The Skene's glands are located on the upper wall of the vagina, near the lower end of the urethra (which could explain why some researchers say squirting is actually just peeing ). They look like teensy tiny holes in the labia minora (LOL, MORE HOLES) and to make things even more confusing, possibly some women don't have them??! But again, no one knows because the research is minimal.
Skene's glands have "a highly variable anatomy, and in some extreme cases they appear to be missing entirely," according to University of Aquila, Italy research cited by Jezebel . "If Skene's glands are the cause of female ejaculation and G-spot orgasms, this may explain the observed absence of these phenomena in many women."
These glands are sometimes called the " female prostate " because they're homologous with the prostate gland in men — which, ICYMI, is where semen comes from. Queen told me they're thought to be part of the prostata femina, or glandular tissues around the urethra that are basically the female prostate. "We call the sexes opposite in our culture, but they are not opposite," Queen said. "They are so fundamentally similar. Everything's got a homologue to everything else in the genital area." So with all this similarity between men and women, it would make sense for women to have something like a prostate that produces a sort of female ejaculate. Maybe it could be called shemen? Just spitballing. But there's other research (or mainly one very controversial study) that would have us believe otherwise.
A little more than a year ago, the first major study that specifically looked into squirting was published by a research team in France. The media had a heyday, mostly because (1) it looked like there might finally be an answer to the incessant IS SQUIRTING REAL? question, and (2) the research team basically said the stuff that comes out when a female squirts is ... urine.
The research team had seven women (with recently emptied bladders) arouse themselves, and then undergo an ultrasound that showed their bladders had refilled after arousal. Upon squirting orgasm, their bladders were all emptied. And the liquid that was ejaculated had a very similar makeup to that of pee.
So amidst all this new, pee-centric research, some people wondered if female ejaculation was actually just urinary incontinence — a pretty common condition that affects about 47 percent of women between the ages of 20 and 49. Prevalence of squirting is a bit harder to figure out. Three studies (all from the '80s and early '90s) say 40 percent of women, or 55 percent of women, or 54 percent of women experience squirting orgasms. (See why this is all so hard to suss out?) Those numbers aren't super far off, though, from the prevalence of urinary incontinence in women. But still, you can't ignore the IRL experience of women who've had squiring orgasms and swear the stuff (based on smell and taste tests) is not pee.
Also, the pee study is problematic because it had the tiniest of sample sizes. Seven (SEVEN) women participated, and it seems a little unfair (nay, unscientific) to call something that seven individual women experienced a universal truth. The research launched a full-scale Twitter revolt, with women who've experienced their own squirting orgasms defending their most pleasurable moments with posts including the hashtag #NotPee .
Sex blogger Kayla Lords wrote extensively about squirting, dismayed that researchers were trying to tell her that her ejaculate was no more than urine.
But would science lie? Probably not on purpose — but for sure there's something suspect about research with such a small sample. As Queen explained, the research surrounding squirting (and a lot of other female-specific issues) is inconclusive because it's so poorly funded. The only capitalist structure with a stake in this game is the sex toy industry, and they don't exactly need scientific backing to sell toys that swear they'll make you squirt.
Basically we need much more (and much better) research to have a real scientific answer. But science isn't necessary to back up the very real pleasure people who experience squirting say they feel. "The thing to come down on is that we don't all respond sexually the same way," Queen said. "Put a towel down and enjoy it, feel good about your body and your orgasmic response."
Considering that basically half of all sex-having women have experienced a squirting orgasm, there's nothing abnormal about squirting — even if it makes an awkward wet spot someone has to sleep in. My hat is off to any woman who can achieve such incredible pleasure. Be wary of people or blogs or whatever that warn, with shameful undertones, that female ejaculate is just urine — so what if it is? Sex is messy. "Some people might consider [squirting] inconvenient and messy, but it's also something that — if you body does it as part of its sexual response — you want to honor that," Queen said. Relax and let your orgasm fly. As long as it's fun and feels good, it's all totally fine and normal.
And if your partner says otherwise and is grossed out by your orgasmic miracle, LOL, dump them. Nothing about squirting is dirty or wrong — even if there is, like, maybe a tiny bit of urine in there. Consider the fact that semen travels the same path out of the penis as pee, and you don't see men apologizing for coming all over the place.
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By Madeleine Castellanos | 2014-12-30T18:25:27-05:00 December 30, 2014 | Sex & Sexuality | 231 Comments

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