What Is a Squirting Orgasm?

Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on September 08, 2023
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributor
5 min read

Squirting refers to fluid expelled from the vagina during orgasm. Not all people with vaginas squirt during orgasm, and those who do may only do it some of the time. This type of orgasm includes a rapid ejection of urine, along with other fluids, from the bladder.

Squirting sometimes also involves secretions from the Skene's glands. The Skene's glands are sometimes called the female prostate because they function similarly to the male prostate.

A squirting orgasm is sometimes called female ejaculation. But this term excludes non-binary and trans people who are not female but have vaginas. 

A recent study has shown that there is a difference between squirting, female ejaculation, and incontinence during sex. However, the term squirting is used to describe all three in everyday language.

Like any aspect of sex, no two people will experience squirting in quite the same way. Some people report that it's more intense than a clitoral orgasm, while others say it's less intense. Many say that it's a deep sense of release that's different from any other orgasm. 

A survey by a team of researchers found that almost 80% of women who reported squirting, and 90% of their partners, felt that it made their sex lives better.

All three of these phenomena involve fluid coming from the bladder during sex. Squirting is the expulsion of urine during an orgasm. Female ejaculation is a release of both urine and a substance from the Skene's glands. Sexual incontinence— also called coital incontinence —  is when someone loses control of their bladder during sex.

Ejaculation in people with vaginas may include a small release of a milky white liquid that does not gush out. Squirting, on the other hand, is usually a higher volume. It is possible to squirt and ejaculate at the same time.

Myth: Squirting is fake.

Squirting is real. Studies show that anywhere from 10% to 54% of people with vaginas have experienced it. However, more research is needed to determine the exact causes of squirting and female ejaculation. 

Part of the ambiguity is that the Skene's glands vary from person to person. Some people with vaginas don't have any, while others have very small ones.

Myth: Everyone can squirt if they try the same method.

Each person's experience with squirting is different. While some methods can make people squirt more than others, there is no method that makes every person with a vagina squirt. This is because each vagina is different. As mentioned, some vaginas lack the Skene's glands, which are thought to create the fluid released during ejaculation in people who have vulvas. 

Myth: Squirting orgasms are always high volume.

Squirting isn't always a high-volume event that soaks the sheets. Sometimes it is a small trickle or a stream of fluid. 

The depiction of women squirting in porn movies often shows large gushes of liquid. Porn producers fake some of these depictions for dramatic effect. All volumes and forms of squirting are valid. Squirting at different volumes is a normal occurrence during sex for many people.

Myth: Squirting or ejaculation only happens during orgasm.

Some people can squirt or ejaculate before or after an orgasm. Squirting can also happen at the same time as an orgasm. Some people also have multiple spurts of squirting spread over a few minutes.

Myth: Squirting is pee.

Researchers disagree on what the fluid released during squirting is. Some small studies have found that it comes from the bladder and has some urine in it. But in some cases, it can also have high levels of glucose and prostate-specific antigens (PSAs), which come from the Skene's glands. People who have experienced squirting also say that the fluid doesn't look, smell, or taste like urine. It's safe to say that it's similar to pee but not the same.

If you'd like to explore squirting either by yourself or with a partner, take time to find out what works for you. It may help to try it first during solo sex play, so you can take your time and focus on your feelings. 

One thing that may help is to be well hydrated: It may not directly help you squirt, but it will make it easier for you to get wet and boosts your blood flow, which is crucial to reaching orgasm. 

It may also help to strengthen your vaginal muscles with Kegel exercises. Toning these muscles can help make your orgasm stronger. 

Set aside time to let yourself relax and get aroused. Some sex experts recommend stimulating the G-spot to achieve this type of orgasm. Take some time to find it with your fingers or sex toys. There are sex toys available specifically designed to stimulate the G-spot. Once you've found it, you'll need to keep placing pressure there. This may make you feel the need to pee. It may help to stimulate your clitoris and your G-spot at the same time. Use lots of lubrication to avoid irritating the area. Relax your pelvic muscles as you stimulate yourself, and then bear down as you get close to orgasm. 

If you don't squirt the first time you try, don't worry about it. That makes it less likely to happen, so enjoy whatever you experience. 

If your partner would like you to help them squirt, let them lead and don't put pressure on them or make them feel like they've "failed' if they don't. Pay attention to their responses, and listen to what they tell you -- including when to stop. 

You can help your partner by: 

  • Helping them relax.
  • Making sure they're aroused with lots of foreplay. 
  • Using your mouth, fingers, or a sex toy to stimulate their clitoris. 
  • Rub and put gentle pressure on their G-spot while putting pressure on their lower belly with your other hand.

For some people, putting too much pressure on the G-spot can feel uncomfortable. Listen to your body and do what feels good. If you are too tense, it may be harder to orgasm or squirt. 

Most sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) are spread through contact with bodily fluids, including those released in squirting. It's important to protect yourself by: 

  • Wearing a finger condom or gloves when using your hands to stimulate your partner
  • Using a dental dam during oral sex 
  • Wearing a condom for penetrative sex, both vaginal and anal
  • Squirting is the release of fluid from the vagina during sex. 
  • Squirting can happen before, after, or during orgasm. 
  • In everyday use, the term refers to squirting, female ejaculation, and urination (incontinence) during sex. 
  • Not everyone with a vagina squirts.

Does squirt smell different from pee? 

While the fluid that you release when you squirt is chemically similar to urine, its makeup isn't exactly the same. Both researchers and people who have reported on their squirting experience have found that the fluid of female ejaculate looks, tastes, and smells different from urine.