What is Squirting? How it feels & tips on how to squirt

The term "squirting" is often thought to be the same as female ejaculation, but these two things are different. Squirting often involves more fluid – typically clear and watery. Female ejaculation, on the other hand, produces a smaller amount of milky discharge.

In this article, we’ll dig deeper into the difference between these two and answer the question: what is squirting? Plus, we’ll also cover how common squirting and female ejaculation are, what they feel like, and how to squirt if that's something you're curious to explore.

What is squirting?

Squirting refers to a specific type of fluid that’s released from the urethra (where you pee from) during sex [1]. This is different from the sexual secretion that’s created during arousal, which typically lubricates the vagina (sometimes called ‘getting wet’). Squirting often happens during the female orgasm, but that's not always the case. Not everyone may experience squirting, and not everyone who squirts does so all of the time.

What does squirting feel like?

Some people say squirting feels more intense than a regular orgasm or like a deep sexual release. An online survey of more than 320 women who reported experiencing squirting/female ejaculation worldwide found that almost 80% of women found squirting enriched their sex lives [2]. Others may find squirting more of a side effect from other pleasure, and some people describe it as feeling a bit like needing to pee. Everyone experiences sex and sexual pleasure differently. There’s no right or wrong way to feel about it. 

How can I tell if I squirted?

How squirting feels will vary from person to person, and it's not uncommon for women to simply not realize they squirted until after the fact. Swedish researchers interviewed 28 women aged between 23 and 69 on their squirting experiences (all women participating in the study reported experiencing the release of fluids during sexual stimulation). What they found is that while some women were able to tell they squirted and felt a deep sense of satisfaction, others didn't feel much when it happened and only realized they squirted because their bedsheets were wetter than usual after sex [1].

Do all women squirt? 

All of our bodies are different and we all experience pleasure in own own unique ways, so no – not everyone with a vagina may squirt during sex, and not everyone will ejaculate. While squirting has become very common to see in porn, it doesn't mean it's a universal experience.

What's interesting about squirting is that some women may start to experience it later in life. That same study published in Sweden asked the 28 participants about their first squirting experiences. A few participants admitted that squirting only started happening for them later in life due to new sensations in the vagina after giving birth or as a result of them becoming more relaxed and open-minded about sex. 

It is, however, important to note that the authors of this study relied on volunteer participants from specific networks (for example, a Swedish podcast about sexuality), and the experiences of this group of women might not represent the full range of experiences or be typical for all women, as volunteers often have different perspectives or levels of openness compared to the general population [1].

How common are squirting and female ejaculation?

Studies into squirting show different results. One piece of research suggests that anywhere between 10% and 54% of women may experience female ejaculation during orgasm [3], while another study suggests that as many as 69% of women can squirt during sex [4].

Most recent data on squirting in the United States shows that around forty percent of adult women report squirting in their lifetime. About 60% of those women report squirting to be pleasurable, but only 20% of women always experience squirting at the same time as an orgasm [5].

Keep in mind that there is a lot of stigma surrounding female pleasure, and squirting in particular. This can influence how much it’s talked about and may also lead to it being underreported. 

Squirting vs. female ejaculation

Until recently, squirting and female ejaculation were considered to be the same thing, and even the majority of the older research used these two terms interchangeably. However, more new research has finally acknowledged that these are actually different [3].

Squirting is an emission of clear, watery fluid (most likely from the bladder [6]) that may happen during orgasm, or it may not [5]. Female ejaculation looks very different – it's a smaller amount of milky fluid. This milky fluid is produced in the Skene’s gland (sometimes called the female prostate) and exits through the urethra with sexual release [3].

While it's true that the fluid produced when someone squirts contains urine, it’s not the same as peeing during sex. Squirting is different from sexual incontinence (also called coital incontinence) when the bladder leaks during intercourse — this usually happens if you already have urinary incontinence, e.g., you let out a small amount of pee when you laugh or sneeze [7]. 

It is possible to experience both squirting and female ejaculation at the same time. However, some people will experience one but not the other [3]. 

Tips on how to squirt

Want to learn how to squirt by yourself or with a partner? As with all things related to sex, this is a learning journey. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Masturbate: Research suggests that slightly more people may find it easier to squirt from masturbation than from sexual intercourse [2]. Self-pleasure is a useful way to explore what feels good and gives you time to focus on your own experience.
• Try different sex positions: Change things up with your partner. Try some positions that offer deep vaginal penetration, such as reverse cowgirl or being penetrated from behind. 
• Use sex toys: Introducing toys can help you experience pleasure in new ways. Toys come in a range of shapes and sizes and can offer deeper penetration or stimulate the clitoris externally. You can use toys on your own, or you may want to use them as part of intimacy with a partner. See what works and feels best for you. 
• Relax: Just like with a regular orgasm, worrying or feeling anxious can make it difficult to climax and can make sex less enjoyable. Try not to stress too much about the end result. It’s all about the journey, after all!
• Take your time: One small study with seven participants found that it took anywhere from 25 to 60 minutes of finger stimulation for women to squirt [8]. So, take your time warming up, engaging in foreplay, and building arousal as you explore by yourself or with a partner.
• Focus on the body: Women who squirt report that they and their partner spent time stimulating not only the inside of the vagina and the clitoris but also other parts of the vulva and the rest of their body [1]. Our bodies are full of erogenous zones (ears, inner thighs, neck, nipples, etc.) that all feel amazing when stimulated, so consider expanding your exploration beyond the genitals to build arousal.

What can you do to help your partner squirt?

Are you excited to explore squirting with your partner and want to help your partner feel great while being supportive? Here are a few tips to help you navigate your new sexual exploration together:

• Avoid putting pressure on them: Always be supportive and kind when exploring something new in the bedroom, and avoid putting pressure on your partner to perform. They may be able to squirt, or they may not – frame the experience as a fun experiment and something novel you get to together.
• Ask them what works best: Work with your partner to find what feels best for them. Maybe they want assurance and sweet words while you explore – engage in erotic talk and give them plenty of affirmations. Maybe they prefer a certain type of rhythm and speed – try different techniques and check in with them. Listen not only to their words but also their body cues and how your partner's body reacts to different touch and stimulation.
• Engage in plenty of foreplay: Even if you generally engage in a lot of foreplay, spend even more time on activities that build arousal and sexual tension. Give your partner a sensual full-body massage, go down on them, and spend a lot of time kissing and exploring their body with your lips until they're melting in your arms.
• Know the spots: Clitoris and the G-spot are the critical spots that bring the most pleasure when stimulated for many people, and combined stimulation of the two involving your mouth and fingers can offer the best results when trying to figure out how to squirt.

Safety advice and special considerations

While new sexual partners can be great and can highly enhance the pleasure we experience, if you're having sex with a partner whose results of STI screening you don't know, you may want to be aware of STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

STIs are spread when we come in contact with bodily fluids, even if penis-inside-vagina isn't involved, and squirting often comes with plenty of bodily fluids. So, be sure you're protecting yourself from STIs by using the barrier method when necessary – use dental dams during oral sex, condoms for penetrative sex (even with sex toys), and gloves for finger stimulation.

Myths & misconceptions about squirting

There are plenty of myths surrounding squirting and female ejaculation. Let’s take a minute to debunk a few of the most common ones: 

Myth: Everyone squirts 

Squirting comes more easily to some people than others. For some people, it's a normal part of their sex lives, while other people prefer to engage in other forms of sexual activity [5]. Everybody is different, as are our sexual desires and preferences. If you’re interested in finding out if squirting is something you can do, we wish you all the best on this learning journey. If it’s not for you, that’s good too!

Myth: Squirting doesn’t exist

Squirting and female ejaculation have had mythic status themselves for a long time. This is most likely due to a lack of research on female health and the stigmatized nature of female pleasure. In recent years, more research has been done into this topic and is revealing that squirting and female ejaculation is very much a real thing. 

Myth: Squirting always produces a lot of fluid

While squirting may produce more fluid than female ejaculation or regular sexual arousal, it’s not always enough to soak the bed sheets. Everyone's body is different and will produce varying amounts of liquid. Like many things, this is often exaggerated in porn and may not reflect your own sexual experience.

Myth: Squirt is just pee

It's a highly debated topic, with many different opinions. A common misconception is that the fluid produced during squirting is urine. That's not entirely true. Squirting fluid has a lot in common with pee and comes from the bladder. However, research found that it also contains other secretions [8].

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