Are female ejaculation and squirting the same? Isn’t squirting during sex the same as peeing? Read on to find out the answers and learn more about the different kinds of vaginal fluids and female orgasms.
Understand the different types of vaginal fluids
Before we get into the difference between female ejaculation and squirting, (yes, they are different), first we need to understand that there are three different types of vaginal fluids.
The first is vaginal lubrication, which comes from, you guessed it, the vagina. Then there’s female ejaculation, which comes from the Skene’s glands, also known as the female prostate. And finally, there’s squirting. Squirt comes from the urethra, but can sometimes also come from the Skene’s glands.
What’s female ejaculation?
Let’s dig a little deeper now. Female ejaculation is the release of a thick, whitish fluid that’s released just before or during orgasm. Female ejaculation always happens when you orgasm, but you might not have seen it before.
If you’ve never noticed it before, watch out for it the next time you have a sexy solo session. It’s easier to see female ejaculate when you masturbate, since during partnered sex it can go unnoticed if it mixes with other fluids like lubrication or semen.
And don’t worry if you still don’t see it and don’t even feel like you ejaculated. The size of the Skene’s glands varies from person to person and the amount of ejaculate released can be so small it’s unnoticeable.
There’s also something called "retrograde ejaculation", which is when instead of exiting the vagina, female ejaculate gets pulled up into the vagina with the contractions of the orgasm.
Pretty cool, right?
What’s squirting?
Moving on to squirting, squirting differs from female ejaculation in where it comes from, its composition and how much you produce. Compared to female ejaculate, squirt is a lighter or transparent liquid. It comes out with force, and there’s usually quite a lot of it. This fluid comes from the bladder and exits through the duct of the urethra. But even though it comes from the same place as urine, it's not the same, so it doesn’t have the color or smell of normal urine. Squirt is actually composed of glucose, fructose and a tiny amount of urine. So again, just for the record: even though it comes from the bladder and squirting feels similar to peeing, squirt is not pee, it’s a clear fluid and though it has traces of urine, it’s separate.
And unlike female ejaculation, it’s not necessarily associated with climaxing. Squirt accumulates as you get turned on, but it isn’t actually an orgasm. Yes, it’s pleasurable, but not all people experience it right before cumming and some women can experience it independently.
Can all women squirt?
If you watch mainstream porn you might think that most women regularly squirt fountains after minimal stimulation. But squirting isn’t as common as you think, and most people haven’t experienced it.
Having said that, all women have the ability to squirt. For some women it comes as a complete surprise and happens when they aren’t trying to squirt at all. But it’s also normal to find you need some practice to do it.
If you’re interested in experiencing squirting, we suggest you listen to Emjoy’s guided masturbation session How to Squirt, which talks you through the process step by step. You might need some time and patience, but the process can be just as rewarding as the end result. And girl is it fun!
Discover more about orgasms and the female anatomy
If you enjoyed this article about female ejaculation and squirting and want to learn more about the female body, we suggest you get started with:
How to Touch Yourself: 10 Sex Techniques for Female Orgasm
The Health Benefits of Masturbation and
Vulvas, Vaginas, Clits, and Butts: The Definitive Guide To The Female Anatomy
