What Does Female Ejaculation Contain

What Does Female Ejaculation Contain

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Female ejaculation has something of a mythical reputation when it comes to sexual health topics. Everyone has questions: Can a vagina actually ejaculate like a penis? If it can, is that even normal? And what comes out, anyway? To get answers, we reached out to sex experts, who separated the myths from the facts.

Put simply, "vaginal ejaculation is the expulsion of fluid through the urethra during sexual arousal (but not necessarily orgasm)," New York–based sex educator Corinne Kai tells Health .

Does that mean vaginas can ejaculate? Well, that is why the phenomenon is colloquially known as squirting. But "what women define as 'ejaculation' varies widely, and there is no accepted scientific standard for qualifying as female ejaculation by the volume or speed of the expulsion," Nicole Prause, PhD, a sex researcher at UCLA, tells Health .

So while one person might experience more of a forceful stream of liquid, another might feel a gushing sensation. "The fluid amount tends to range between 30 and 150 milliliters," says Kai, which can be just a drop of liquid or so much that you soak your bedsheets. "Sometimes people don't even realize they ejaculated until they move and see a wet spot, while others can feel when it's happening," she adds. "It depends on your body."

The first major study that looked into squirting back in 2014 determined the liquid was actually pee. Yep, "the fluid comes from the bladder," says Prause. Researchers found urea, creatinine, and uric acid concentrations—all major components of urine—in the excretions of all seven study participants. (Keep in mind that's a tiny sample size, and it's hardly considered representative of half the world's population).

But the ejaculate is also not pee. "Many have argued that squirting isn't real and that people who experience this just need to go to the bathroom before sex," says Kai. "It is released through your urethra, but it's been found to resemble enzymes found in male prostate fluid. " The male prostate gland sits between the bladder and penis and secretes fluid to help nourish sperm.

While the liquid may contain small amounts of urine, additional research suggests that the milky white fluid comes from the Skene's glands, which are "tucked inside the wall of your vagina near the urethra sponge, right at the G-spot," says Kai. "The location explains why sensations along this erogenous zone have been associated with vaginal ejaculation."

Male ejaculate delivers sperm to the female reproductive system, and procreation depends on it. But scientists aren't quite sure of the purpose of the Skene's glands, which are also known as the female prostate. Nor do they understand the reason women ejaculate.

"There have been many studies done about whether or not vaginal ejaculation is related to the menstrual cycle or pregnancy, but none have been proven," says Kai. "However, some researchers have found that vaginal ejaculation could provide a secretion that could protect against UTIs or even contain antimicrobial components like zinc."

If you believe the multitude of squirting videos that exist on porn websites, it certainly seems so. "I suspect that 'female ejaculation' is portrayed as a way to suggest that the female performers are actually turned on," says Prause. Thanks to their availability on porn sites, female ejaculation has become somewhat of a novelty—and also something many women think they should be able to do.

Yet only 10 to 50 percent of women experience "involuntary ejaculation," according to the International Society for Sexual Medicine. Because "we don't know how this expulsion is triggered, it's impossible to know at this time whether some women may be more or less prone to experience it," says Prause.

So despite what porn would have you believe, not every person with a vagina can or will experience ejaculation. "Sex researchers [believe] that G-spot stimulation increases the probability of being able to experience ejaculation, and sex coaches have said that it can be learned," says Kai. "It's likely that the sensation before vaginal ejaculation holds people back from releasing their muscles and allowing it to happen. It can feel like you have to pee right before vaginal ejaculation, which is linked to a lot of shame or embarrassment in people not wanting to pee on their partners."

If you have never ejaculated but want to give it a try, it certainly can't hurt. At the very least, you'll get a lot of pleasure out all the G-spot stimulation, and if you are able to ejaculate, it might be a turn-on for you (or your partner). But as novel as the idea of squirting may seem, remember this: No research has linked female ejaculation to better sex. Your pleasure in bed definitely doesn't depend on your ability to ejaculate or not.

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Scientists Think They Know Where Female Ejaculation Comes From, And What It's Made Of
Okay everyone, it's time to talk about female ejaculation - because it's not as mysterious as many would like to believe.
Scientists have found evidence that women who 'squirt' are expelling one of two different types of liquid - one pure urine, and the other a combination of urine and fluid from the female prostate gland.
Researchers in France back in 2015 were the first to observe the mysterious phenomenon using ultrasound scans, to discover that the ejaculate originates in a woman's bladder - and is made up mostly of urine.
The team, led by Samuel Salama, a gynaecologist at the Parly II private hospital in Le Chesnay, worked with a small sample of seven healthy women who reported "recurrent and massive fluid emission" when they were sexually stimulated. It's not uncommon for women to experience a little bit of milky white fluid leaking from their urethra at the point of climax, but the practice of 'squirting' enough liquid to fill a drinking glass is relatively rare.
"A few small studies have suggested the milky white fluid comes from Skene glands - tiny structures that drain into the urethra," wrote Helen Thomson for New Scientist at the time .
"Some in the medical community believe these glands are akin to the male prostate, although their size and shape differ greatly between women and their exact function is unknown."
Salma's team first asked the participants to submit a urine sample, and then their pelvis was scanned via an ultrasound machine to make sure there was nothing remaining in their bladders.
The women were left to either masturbate in the lab, or have sex with a partner, until they were just about to climax. This gave the researchers enough time to get their ultrasound machines at the ready.
In what must have been one of the most awkward moments of their lives, the women had scans performed on them as they were climaxing, and the expelled fluid was collected in sample bags. One last scan was taken of their pelvises afterwards to get a view of the bladder.
Oddly enough, even though the women had emptied their bladders before the big event, the scan taken just before they climaxed revealed that the bladders been completely refilled again, for no other reason than the women had been sexually stimulated.
The scan after the climax - and ejaculation - occurred showed that the volunteers' bladders were once again clear. The team published their results in The Journal of Sexual Medicine .
Soooo, does this mean the liquid that's being squirted during sex is urine? The team had already confirmed that it was coming from the bladder, so it's a good bet.
They compared the samples that had been bagged up during climax to the urine samples collected at the beginning of the study and found that in two of the seven women, the samples were both chemically identical.
In the remaining five women, the samples were slightly different.
The team found an enzyme called a prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) that was present in small amounts in these volunteers' ejaculated urine.
"PSA, produced in men by the prostate gland, is more commonly associated with male ejaculate," said Thomson at New Scientist , "where its presence helps sperm to swim. In females, says Salama, PSA is produced mainly by the Skene glands."
So when females ejaculate during an orgasm, they either release plain old urine, or urine that's been diluted by fluids from the female prostate gland.
Thomson spoke to an independent expert, Beverley Whipple, a neurophysiologist from Rutgers University in the US, who said that when we talk about female ejaculation, we should really only be referring to when PSA is released, not urine.
The remaining mysteries surrounding this phenomenon are whether or not it serves some kind of adaptive function, and why so few women are able to do it. Researchers think it could have to do with perhaps some women not producing PSA at all, or maybe the size and shape of an individual's prostate gland comes into play.
Salma thinks all women should be able to squirt "if their partner knows what they are doing", New Scientist reports.

Dr. Jolene Brighten is a Functional Medicine Naturopathic Physician and the founder and CEO of Rubus Health—a root cause women’s medicine clinic specializing in the treatment of hormone disorders, including adrenal, thyroid, and hormonal birth control related conditions. She is recognized as an expert in Post-Birth Control Syndrome and the long term side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives. Dr. Brighten is a best-selling author, speaker, and clinical educator. Read more about me.

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Dr. Jolene Brighten Published: May 13, 2022 Last Reviewed: May 13, 2022 Orgasms , Sexual Health Leave a Comment
Did you know that women can also ejaculate during sex? The phenomenon, also called “squirting,” is a popular topic when it comes to sexual health, and one that comes with a lot of questions.
Female ejaculation is a fairly common experience, but not something that gets talked about very often. To compare, just think of how many phrases there are for male ejaculation! Unrealistic portrayals of this phenomenon in media, as well as the stigma that still shrouds female pleasure, can warp both our understanding, and even our awareness of squirting as a natural, healthy part of sex for many women.
Let’s explore your biggest questions, learn more, and debunk some myths around female ejaculation.
Despite its mysterious and mythical status, it’s real. Female ejaculation occurs during orgasm or sexual arousal, when the vulva (technically the urethra and skene’s glands) involuntarily release fluid. It certainly doesn’t get talked about much, but it’s a completely normal part of some women’s sexual experience.
While commonly referred to as “female ejaculation” a more accurate term would be urethral or vulvar ejaculation, which would be more inclusive of the experience. I mean, if you look up the definition of ejaculation you’re going to find a lot of talk about penises and nothing about your vulva.
While some researchers differentiate, for the most part, these terms are used interchangeably. There may technically be a difference, but we need more research to fully understand this.
Female ejaculation is the technical term, but you’ve likely heard the more common “squirting.” The name makes sense when you consider that the expectation of female ejaculation is heavily warped by exaggerated representations in media. The higher volume, shoot-the-wall squirting sometimes seen in explicit content is often actually forced urine, as the actors need to produce the effect in dramatic quantities, and on command. Please note this is really bad for the health of your pelvic floor and I don’t advise it.
While some people naturally squirt a high pressure or high volume gush, others may just release a trickle, or never experience it at all. In reality, squirting volumes vary greatly with some people producing 0.3ml to 150 ml — and they're all perfectly normal.
Squirting exits through the urethra, not the vagina. Researchers believe that female ejaculate is produced in the Skene’s glands, specialized tissues surrounding the urethra. The Skene’s glands are also known as the paraurethral gland, is the female equivalent of the male prostate.
Although female ejaculate leaves the body through the urethra, it is not (as was once believed) urine. There are some similarities to pee however, and female ejaculate does contain very dilute amounts of creatine and urea . But that doesn’t make it urine.
It also shares similarities to male ejaculate: specifically, the fluid from female ejaculation contains prostate specific antigens (PSAs) and prostatic acid phosphatase, both produced by the Skene’s gland in women.
Squirting is also different from vaginal discharge , or the slippery fluid that helps keep things lubricated and “wet” when you’re turned on.
No, squirting is different from peeing.
For a long time, many doctors and researchers wrongly believed that female ejaculate was actually just urine, further adding to the stigma and misinformation that still cloud so many aspects of women’s sexuality.
While ejaculate does pass through the urethra, and shares some common components found in urine (namely creatine and urea), it doesn’t appear to be solely pee.
That said, urine leaking during sex is a fairly common problem, and is called sexual incontinence. Sex and arousal can put extra pressure on your bladder and urethra. Combined with weak pelvic floor muscles , or an overactive bladder, this could lead to some leaks — which, again, are different from squirting.
If you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, jump, or laugh, it’s time for a trip to a pelvic floor specialist.
All right. We know what it is, we know what it isn’t, now let’s answer your real questions about female ejaculation: Is squirting normal? How do you recognize it? And for the curious, how can you try it yourself?
For anyone Google-ing at home after accidentally soaking the sheets: Yes, squirting is perfectly normal. For some people, it happens with every orgasm. Some people only experience it occasionally, and others might never squirt at all. All are totally normal, and being able to squirt isn’t better or worse than not squirting.
Numbers vary, but one study surveying 18 to 39 year old women, found that 69% experienced ejaculation with orgasm. (And yes, that number probably made them giggle too.) The International Society for Sexual Medicine estimates that between 10-50% of women experience ejaculation with sex or orgasm.
The amount of fluid released can vary from about one-third of one milliliter to 150 ml. We’re talking over half a cup in some cases!
Some researchers have hypothesized that it may be a phenomenon where ejaculate flows back into the bladder instead of out through the urethra.
Like all things sex, this differs from person to person — most often it happens during or shortly before or after an orgasm. Some people describe female ejaculation as a feeling of intense release, different from the feeling of an orgasm. While the event can certainly surprise people the first time it happens, many people report feeling empowered by the experience.
Because of the positioning of the Skene’s glands, near the front wall of your vagina, squirting people often associated it with G-spot stimulation . However, there has been no concrete evidence that the G-spot does in fact exist and rather, any pleasurable stimulation to this area is more likely the result of stimulation of the clitoral complex.
Different positions, your level of arousal, and your own personal preferences and experiences can all affect how this feels to you.
There is a difference between ejaculate, urine, and vaginal discharge. While it differs for everyone, female ejaculate tends to have no smell, and a slight sweet taste . It can be colorless or slightly white, like watery milk.
First things first: don’t put pressure on yourself or your partner to squirt. Achieving a squirting orgasm is not “better” or “worse” than an orgasm without ejaculation, and feeling any anxiety or expectation to perform a certain way is only going to make things less enjoyable for everyone. Never try to force it, as you could damage your pelvic muscles.
If you’re curious to try, the first step is to relax. When it comes to pleasure, stress is the great mood-buster. Set the scene with candles, put on your favorite playlist — whatever helps get you in the mood. In case of a super-soaker-success, you may want to lay a towel beneath you, or try setting up in the bathtub.
Female ejaculation is most often associated with stimulating the belly button side of the vaginal canal, because of its proximity to the Skene’s gland.
Different techniques will feel best for different people. Experiment with different positions, use vibrators or other toys, or ask your partner to try stimulating the area with their fingers. Don’t be afraid to use the right lube for you , and remember to use body-safe toys paired with proper toy hygiene.
During sex or arousal, some people get the feeling that they are going to pee, so they stop. That pressure felt in your urethra might actually be your body getting ready to ejaculate. Enjoy exploring your body, whether you squirt or not. Practice might not make perfect, but you’ll at least have fun trying .
If you’ve ever felt embarrassed about squirting, it’s worth taking a pause to unpack that feeling. To get the most out of sex, you must be comfortable with your body and your experience of pleasure, and never embarrassed by either. Increasing awareness that female ejaculation exists, and is not the same as urination, can really help battle some of the stigma that’s kept it in the dark.
If you’d like to avoid squirting orgasms, experiment with different positions to see what works best for you. It may help to pee before sex, avoid positions that stimulate the anterior of the vaginal canal, and try strengthening your pelvic floor muscles. You can also simply place a towel over your sheets before sex or masturbation, if it’s the clean-up that bothers you more than the squirting itself.
It’s possible, but we lack sufficient research and understanding regarding female ejaculation. Some researchers hypothesize that the fluid expelled in female ejaculation could actually be helpful in flushing bacteria from sex back out of the urethra, which could help prevent UTIs from sex.
Fortunately for squirters and non-squirters alike, we do know that orgasms are actually beneficial for both your physical and mental health. Good sex can boost your mood, release anti-aging hormones, improve circulation, sleep, and fertility, and even help you live longer! Plus, it’s fun, so why not?
The big takeaway: squirting is perfectly normal and pleasurable, but so is not squirting!
I hope this helped uncover some of the mystery or confusion surrounding female ejaculation. Whether or not squirting is a part of how you experience pleasure, enjoy the experience of getting to know your body, and honoring what feels right for you.
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