Squirting: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know

When it comes to the topic of squirting and how it’s portrayed in porn…let’s just say the lyrics, “Don’t go chasing waterfalls,” is an understatement.

Surprise, surprise: squirting isn’t just limited to the wild slip and slides displayed in porn videos.

It also doesn’t discriminate.

Squirt can be a regular part of a woman’s sex life, an occasional visitor, or a complete stranger who has yet to make its presence known.

Whether you’ve encountered this slippery phenomenon already or have always wanted to, chances are you’ve got questions that need answers.

The good news is that you’ve cum to the right place!

Think of this as our version of “Everyone Poops: Squirter’s Edition.”

Want the quick lowdown on squirting? We spoke with experts to learn more about what squirt is, why it happens, and how to do it! Watch the video below!

What Is Squirting During Sex?

In the simplest terms, squirting is the release of fluid from a woman’s urethra during sexual activity.

It’s important to note that while squirting during sex does happen, it doesn’t always occur as a result of a woman having an orgasm.

Some women squirt before, during, or after the “Big O.”

Dr. Susan Milstein, a Master Certified Health Education Specialist who sits on our medical review board and also holds a Ph.D. in Human Sexuality Education, explains it this way:

“A man can orgasm without ejaculating, same thing for women. Women might have an orgasm and never squirt, sometimes they’ll squirt but maybe it’s not as intense of an orgasm as they’ve had in other ways…it may or may not be associated with orgasm.”

Whether you squirt or not during sex does not mean you’re doing anything wrong.

A female orgasm feels amazing. If squirting fluid is released somewhere along the way — great — but if not, it’s totally okay.

Is It True That Squirt Is Actually Pee?

Why you gotta make me break your heart, ladies?

Dr. Laurie Mintz, a feminist professor, author, and therapist, told us, “The more gushing, squirting type [of liquid] — the type that you often see in porn images is female ejaculate mixed with diluted urine.”

It’s true. According to a study done on the subject, the fluid that is released while squirting is urine — involuntarily expelled from the bladder during sexual stimulation.

That study analyzed seven women (without genetic abnormalities) who reported that they often produce a healthy amount of fluid emission from sexual stimulation.

All of the women taking part in the study emptied their bladders before sexual stimulation began, which was verified through pelvic ultrasound scans.

They were scanned again during sexual stimulation, right before squirting, and again after squirting.

Although their bladders were empty at the start, they filled with fluid during sexual stimulation and before squirting occurred. Afterward, their bladders were found to be empty again.

The moral of this story? Squirting is a naturally occurring and involuntary emission of urine during sexual activity.

Boom! *drops mic*

That said, squirt’s exact composition will vary from person to person and the urine it contains may be more or less diluted, as we’ll talk about in just a bit.

Although squirting is an involuntary release of fluid that contains urine, don’t let that knowledge ruin the overall sexiness of it.

Squirting is not the same as copping a squat on the toilet and urinating, so you don’t have to worry about being unfairly labeled a “golden shower” fan if you’re into it.

What Is Squirt And What Color Is It?

Remember when I mentioned that squirt is actually pee?

Sorry, but the answer hasn’t changed — that’s my (and science’s) story and I’m sticking to it!

Despite this potentially not-so-fun-fact, however, squirt isn’t always yellow.

The color of squirt can range from white to milky white fluid, shades of yellow, and even clear, depending on the person.

Why is the color of squirt so varied?

Although squirt is an involuntary release of urine, it isn’t necessarily 100% pee. Squirt may or may not contain female ejaculate originating from the Skene’s glands, which we’ll talk about below.

The exact composition of one woman’s squirt may contain more or less female ejaculate compared to another’s.

Likewise, the amount of water a woman drinks during any given day can dilute her urine to varying degrees, which can cause her squirt to be lighter or darker, or even completely colorless.

What Is The Difference Between Female Ejaculation And Squirting?

The difference between female ejaculation and squirting is based on where each of these fluids originates.

The fluid produced by squirting comes from a woman’s urethra. This part of a woman’s anatomy is connected to the bladder, which we all know is where urine comes from.

Female ejaculate, on the other hand, is fluid that comes from a woman’s Skene’s glands, which are located within the urethral sponge, adjacent to the urethra.

Take a closer look at the differences between female ejaculation and squirting in our infographic below:

Sometimes the Skene’s glands are referred to as the female version of a man’s prostate gland because of their function and the proteins they produce.

Because the Skene’s glands and urethra are neighbors — anatomically speaking — it isn’t unusual for the resulting squirt to offer a mixed cocktail of both urine (albeit watered down) and female ejaculate.

Female ejaculate is comprised of:

• PSA (prostate-specific antigen): This is a protein produced by the cells in the prostate gland — the presence of this in a woman’s Skene’s glands is the reason why they’re referred to as the female version of a prostate.
• Prostatic Acid Phosphatase: This is a glycoprotein that’s also produced by the male prostate gland but is found in the Skene’s glands in women.
• Glucose: This is a simple sugar found in the blood.
• Fructose: This is also a sugar, one that’s commonly found in fruit, veggies and other plant-based foods.

It is important to note that the terms “squirting” and “female ejaculation” are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing.

But make no mistake about it: the two are completely different occurrences.

“People use all different terms, basically,” says Dr. Laurie Mintz, the professor and therapist we spoke with earlier. She tells us:

“When I and a lot of other sex therapists refer to ‘female ejaculate,’ we’re talking about those two cc’s of white fluid from the female prostate gland. And ‘squirting’ is more, again, that female ejaculate mixed with the diluted urine.”

Now that you know squirt and female ejaculation are two different occurrences, you can educate your friends!

Timing is everything, however — save this fun fact for the next Happy Hour instead of the company holiday party.

So when it comes to female ejaculation, just how much fluid are we talking about?

On average, a woman’s ejaculate equates to about 2 ounces or so, however, as we’ll talk about later, the precise amount varies from woman to woman..

Why Do Some Women Squirt?

The exact reason why some women squirt during sexual stimulation remains the million-dollar question to this day.

There have been a number of studies in recent years that have sought answers but squirt is still considered a hotly debated topic — one surrounded by a faint air of mystery.

Dr. Susan Milstein, who sits on our medical review board, looks at it from a behavioral perspective. She said:

“Our brain is one of the biggest things that can inhibit how turned on we are. If we’re getting intimate with a partner and we’re thinking, ‘Hmm…did I shut the oven?’ our brains aren’t really turned on so we’re going to have a completely different physical experience. So I think for a lot of women it’s being comfortable with who they are, comfortable with this happening, and then maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t.”

Can All Women Learn How To Squirt?

The easy answer is, “Yes!” But as with anything, practice makes perfect — who knew we’d be able to apply this in an arena not related to sports for once? Score!

Squirting for some women doesn’t take much effort at all, while others have to work at it.

No two women are exactly alike so it only makes sense that the journey towards squirting is also a customizable experience.

The good news for you is that we’ll cover the tips and techniques that lend themselves to increasing the odds of squirting later on!

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What Does Squirting Feel Like?

Because every woman is different, what squirting feels like during sex will vary from person to person.

Several real-life squirters on our sex forums weighed in on this topic, and as we found out, squirting brings with it a wide variety of sensations.

“It usually happens in the middle of a really good session,” one forum member explained, adding that it typically occurs “with a really long build-up of sexual arousal.”

She went on to add that when she has squirted in the past, it didn’t actually feel like she climaxed at all.

Another sex forum user shared, “I can almost guarantee a squirt when my G-spot is stimulated. Other times I can [squirt] when my clit is stimulated if I’m very very aroused.”

And still, another woman on our forums said that squirting is, “a very very intense feeling. My arousal has to be pretty much out of this world for it to happen and when it does, the feeling is insane.”

As we’ll discover, there isn’t a right or wrong way to squirt, nor is there a magical one-squirt-fits-all approach to what you could or should be experiencing.

How Do Women Who Squirt During Sex Describe The Sensation?

While no two women are exactly alike, the sensation that comes from squirting as described by 13 women in a 2009 study on female ejaculation does have some commonalities, including but not limited to:

• Flooding
• Gushing
• Releasing
• Melting

One woman on our forums said that she’s been squirting for as long as she can remember but the sensation can become too intense if she continues to gush.

“I feel sick sometimes,” she explained. Even so, she said, “I always feel like I orgasm when I do it.”

She admitted that she loves squirting, in spite of the mess.

Another forum member explained that she never orgasms when she squirts.

“It takes me about half an hour when I do it,” she explained. “While the build-up feels great, the release itself feels more like peeing than anything else, and then my arousal is gone.”

There isn’t a magic formula for how squirting during sex should feel.

Regardless of what you personally experience, don’t put any unnecessary pressure on yourself to try and “feel” a certain type of way when you squirt.

If it happens, simply relax and let your body do the rest!

How Do Squirting Orgasms Vary?

Squirting orgasms vary from person to person but it’s important to acknowledge that women are capable of squirting before, during, and even after vaginal orgasms.

Are you confused yet or totally turned on? Maybe a bit of both?

One forum user said that she only experiences squirting during an orgasm that’s very powerful and intense, but recognizes that others’ experiences can be vastly different from her own.

“I have known of some women that have a tendency to dribble urine during masturbation or sexual play,” she said, “and not from this same type of explosive orgasmic event.”

Another forum user said that her squirt doesn’t even occur during climax.

“It’s never happened during an orgasm,” she explained. “It seems like it happens after a really intense orgasm.”

“I find it really odd that men find it so appealing because it doesn’t even feel good when it happens,” she observed.

One woman on our forums said she considers herself to be a “super soaker.”

“I squirt each time, and not just a little,” she explained. “I flood the bed. While performing oral on me, [my boyfriend] made me squirt so hard I got it on MY face.”

As you can probably tell by now, no two squirting orgasms are exactly alike, and in some cases, squirting occurs independently from climax.

How Can You Tell When You Have A Squirting Orgasm?

The amount of fluid emitted during squirting varies from a trickle to a full-blown waterslide, so it is entirely possible that some of you may have already joined the Squirter’s Club and just didn’t know it.

One member of our forums put it best when she said, “Personally I think it seems like more than it is, just because liquid in ‘mess’ form is always more extensive” compared to fluid in a cup.

She added that she’d estimate the general amount of her squirt to be around a few ounces to half a cup’s worth of liquid.

Of course, if you’ve squirted any significant amount, it’s likely that you did notice.

And there’s a good chance your partner did, too. Particularly if you help one another to clean up after sex.

But how do you know for sure? How much fluid do women really release when they squirt?

Again, it really depends on the woman, but the average is about 2 ounces.

“When I squirt it kind of gushes out,” one forum user said, although “it doesn’t squirt across the room or anything.”

Another forum member said, “All I know is that liquid comes out and I end up sitting [in] a puddle of it. For me, it’s never a little, it’s always a lot.”

The amount and velocity can vary from woman to woman, but even from squirt to squirt.

One forum user said that most times it’s a trickle or slight gush. “Only a few times did it ever shoot out,” she observed.

Another woman agreed with her experience. “On the rare occasions that I do squirt, it’s just a little trickle,” she said, adding that it gushed only a couple of times.

“I release a little bit of fluid,” one woman observed. “I don’t ‘squirt’ in the actual sense of the word, it just trickles out.”

So if you’ve dribbled or gushed — or experienced something anywhere in between — you’ve probably squirted.

Do Women Who Squirt Have More Intense Orgasms?

Some studies report that women find their orgasms are more intense from squirting.

A 2013 study found that of the 320 female participants, 78.8% of women felt that squirting “enriched” their sex lives — and 90% of their partners also agreed.

“It’s one of the biggest turn on’s when I have sex with my girlfriend,” a member of our forum said. “When she ‘squirts’ it tends to turn me on extremely and makes me perform better.”

One forum user said that although the amount of squirt may vary between climaxes, she notices a significant difference in orgasm intensity when she squirts — for the better. She said:

“If hubby is rubbing his knob in the right spot (vaginal opening) while I’m rubbing my clit, I’ll squirt when I orgasm…sometimes big, sometimes small. Those orgasms are much more intense than the ones I have when I don’t squirt.”

And still, particularly for those who don’t enjoy the “mess” or added wetness, squirting can actually take away from the overall experience.

“I squirt and am kinda embarrassed about it,” one woman on our forums explained, adding that most of the time, it’s a copious amount of fluid.

She noted that the “extra wetness” makes it more difficult to feel her partner inside of her until it wears away.

Do Women Who Squirt Regularly Ever Have Squirt-Free Orgasms?

Sure!

Everyone’s body chemistry is different and it isn’t uncommon for women to enjoy sexual stimulation without the floodgates bursting open.

Some women require a specific type of stimulation, technique or positioning in order to squirt so it goes without saying that when those factors aren’t present, it could lead to squirt-free orgasms.

Likewise, even your own arousal level or frame of mind can affect your ability to squirt.

One member of our forums said that it’s important to focus on enjoying sex — and not on squirting specifically. She said:

“Squirting does not automatically mean pleasure. I don’t always squirt but I still enjoy sex with my husband because he is a fantastic lover who wants to give me a good time. He knows my magic spot and he knows what I like and I almost always orgasm when we make love.”

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How To Squirt During Masturbation

Anyone wanting to try their hand at becoming a human squirt gun will find that the key to learning the ropes is through masturbation.

Self-exploration is the ideal way to understand what feels good to you and what needs to be in place to produce the desired results: a squirt to remember.

What Types Of Stimulation Will Encourage Squirting During Masturbation?

Targeting the G-spot is a good starting point. In fact, around 10% of women experience “shejaculation” through G-spot stimulation.

The location of this sensitive tissue is generally about an inch or so inside the upper vaginal opening and toward the belly button, although depending on your anatomy it may be a little further in.

Not sure how to find your G-spot? No problem!

You’ll want to sit upright for this, as it’s difficult to reach your own G-spot while laying flat on your back.

Insert one (clean) finger — your middle one is probably the easiest — and feel along the stomach-side wall of your vagina.

Try making a “come hither” motion with your finger, curling it upward against the vaginal wall.

Feel a bump or a spongy-textured area that’s a little different from the rest of your vaginal canal? Is the pressure against this spot pleasurable?

You’ve likely found what you’re looking for.

If you were born with a vulva and vagina, you have a G-spot. That said, not all pleasure from this mysterious little button is created equal. Some folks love it, while others don’t.

If the G-spot is not your jam, that’s okay!

The types of stimulation that will encourage squirting during masturbation will vary from person to person.

The Skene’s glands we talked about earlier are located within the urethral sponge, which runs against the G-spot within the vaginal canal and the internal parts of the clitoris as well.

Women can squirt from clitoral stimulation alone, through G-spot stimulation only, or through dual stimulation of the clitoris and G-spot, as Women’s Health Interactive writer Zoë Tanner noted in her review of Lora DiCarlo’s Osé 2 vibrator.

Some women squirt all of the time, while others only do it occasionally — or not at all.

Everybody’s anatomy, pleasure preferences, and abilities are a little different.

How Can You Use Digital/Finger Manipulation To Encourage Squirting While Masturbating?

We’re going to lay it all out but if you’re more of a visual learner, entertainer Kali Sudhra, in conjunction with Erika Lust, offers a complete video guide to squirting.

Editor’s Note: Kali’s video contains explicit content with nudity and a no-holds-barred demonstration of G-spot stimulation technique and squirting. Viewer discretion is advised.

Although Kali uses her fingers to stimulate her G-spot, she also takes advantage of the njoy Pure Wand, which “does it every time,” in her experience.

Applying a finger (or two) might be all you need to get the job done.

Starting off with your fingers is a good way to explore all your nooks and crannies in a way that is gentle and comfortable.

It is important to create a relaxed environment where you can focus on your touch sensory.

Using water-based lube can help to get things going, but this is where introducing a sex toy definitely comes in handy, as well, and we’ll talk about those in just a bit.

Control your breathing and take note of the different sensations you’re feeling as you stroke and apply pressure once you’ve reached your G-spot.

Don’t rush the process — take your time and control the speed accordingly with what you’re feeling at that moment.

Sexual educator, Samia Burton, advises playing with yourself to the point of exhaustion.

“When you tire the body out, you also tire out your mind. So having multiple orgasms is a great way to make your body squirt,” she explained.

She’s right. When your body is stimulated and exhausted, the last thing you’ll be thinking is, “Can I squirt? Will I squirt? C’mon…SQUIRT ALREADY!”

Mental stresses serve as the squirter’s version of a cock block, to put it bluntly.

Additionally, by exploring your lady parts solo, you’ll be able to determine whether you require clitoral or vaginal (G-spot) stimulation to squirt.

Using your fingers for clitoral stimulation is fairly straightforward but trying to find your own G-spot could be a challenge, which is where a sex toy can take over for you.

How Can You Use Sex Toys To Encourage Squirting During Masturbation?

Vibrators can lead to squirting orgasms during masturbation and there are many fantastic vibrators made from body-safe materials that can help you get the job done.

Bullet vibrators, clit massagers, or clit sucking toys for clitoral stimulation, rabbit vibrators or butterfly vibrators for dual stimulation, and even dildos are all ideal for this task, depending on what gets you off.

Additionally, are also G-spot vibrators that are specially designed to hit that pleasure zone with the greatest of ease.

As we mentioned above, the njoy Pure Wand is one that Kali recommended in her video guide to squirting.

Start with applying the toy in a way that you know will bring you to orgasm, whether that’s via your clit, G-spot, or both.

“Get one of those G-spot vibrators, lube it up, relax and, you know, masturbate as you normally would so you’re excited…put it into your vagina and see what happens,” says Dr. Laurie Mintz, the professor and author we spoke with earlier.

Women’s Health Interactive writer Wednesday Lee Friday loves the Hot Octopuss Kurve, a G-spot vibrator that offers treble and bass vibrators for fully customizable G-spot pleasure.

You can read her full review of the Kurve here.

Once you’ve cum, don’t let up!

Keep stimulating and arousing yourself to build the stockpile of fluid in your urethra needed to squirt.

You’ll eventually start to feel a shift in the level of sensation and as you work your way up to orgasming again, it will create the perfect storm for squirting.

Just make sure to keep some towels handy!

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How Your Partner Can Help You Squirt During Sex

Having your partner help you squirt during sex can be a wonderful and adventurous way to intensify your sex life, as well as your intimate connection.

Nothing builds trust more than having a partner who embraces not being waterproof.

How Can Foreplay Encourage Squirting?

Dr. Susan Milstein, the sex educator we spoke with earlier, told us that the term “foreplay” is bothersome because “it implies that something must come after, or that it’s somehow not as important as intercourse.”

Similar to extended masturbation and solo exploration, lengthy sex play with a partner is very effective at building the prolonged sexual stimulation that’s necessary to encourage squirting.

Whether it’s achieved with your partner’s fingers or a sex toy, a high degree of arousal will make the rest of the process even more pleasurable to pursue.

“With a partner, bring some toys into the bedroom,” sexual educator Samia Burton advises. She continued:

“And you have to have patience. It takes 18 minutes minimum to even get fully aroused for a man or a woman and having a quick orgasm is not going to make you [squirt]. It’s not. The longer, the more drawn out your orgasm is, the bigger the orgasm will be.”

One way to extend sexual pleasure is through edging, the intentional delay of climax that builds greater amounts of sexual tension the longer it continues.

During edging, your partner will bring you close to orgasm — but not over the edge — again and again.

How many times this happens is totally up to you, but the practice of edging can lead to a much more powerful orgasm, increasing your chances of squirting.

And remember: even after you’ve orgasmed, don’t have your partner stop.

Make sure they keep going to build that intensity and increase the amount of fluids that will eventually make you squirt.

If it doesn’t happen, however, that’s okay!

You know what they say: If you don’t succeed, try, try again.

G-spot stimulation using a finger or sex toy can lead to female ejaculation and squirting, but if you’re not sure how to do that, take a look at the illustrations in our infographic below:

How Can Oral Sex Lead To Squirting?

Oral sex can lead to squirting because of the divinely pleasurable sensations that arise when a person stimulates your clitoris or labia with their mouth.

Many women need clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasms to begin with and cunnilingus — oral sex on a vulva — can cause a woman to squirt if that’s what brings her the most sexual pleasure.

Again, the practice of edging can help to prolong pleasure and build sexual tension for an explosive release.

Throw in a finger during oral sex to tackle the G-spot and you’ll have a winning combo for wet and wild fun.

You can also incorporate a clit-sucking sex toy, even during sex — it can take over the “work” when your partner’s mouth gets tired!

How Can Penetrative Sex Cause Squirting?

Penetrative sex can cause squirting based on positioning, repetitive thrusting, and prolonged arousal of the G-spot.

This act is a natural way for a woman to work towards building up the momentum needed to squirt, especially if her partner knows just the right angle, position, and amount of pressure to apply.

For some women, this might mean being on top, either facing their partner’s head or feet.

Others might prefer good old doggie-style on their hands and knees for the ultimate in G-spot stimulation.

Both of these positions offer the possibility for additional clitoral stimulation at the same time — which is perfect for women who need it to reach climax.

If you’re flexible enough to put your legs on your partner’s shoulders, this advanced form of the missionary position can offer exquisite stimulation of your G-spot through deep penetration, too.

Placing a pillow beneath your hips may be an easier position to manage if you’re not particularly flexible, as well.

As with foreplay and oral sex, edging is your friend — no matter what position you prefer for penetrative sex, the longer you wait for release, the sweeter (and wetter) it will be.

Can Anal Sex Cause Squirting?

Anal sex can cause squirting in some women.

Similar to what’s been described above, the right combination of sexual stimulation, pressure, technique and position can all lend themselves to causing a woman to squirt while being penetrated anally.

Orgasm is a little harder to achieve through anal penetration alone, but it is possible.

Additionally, some women can squirt with dual penetration or multiple stimulation via their clitoris, vagina, and anally.

Again, it really comes down to what you find the most pleasurable and what gets you off with the most intensity.

In Conclusion

Virtually any woman can become a member of the Squirter’s Club.

Whether solo or with a partner, learning to let go can be a rewarding and eye-opening experience that will give you even more reasons to marvel at what the human body can do.

Still, even women who squirt do not necessarily do it with every orgasm, so if you’re just getting started, be patient with yourself.

The most important thing to remember is to relax and have fun — whether you’re able to squirt or not!