Editor’s Note: We at POPSUGAR recognize that people of many genders and identities have vaginas and uteruses, not just those who are women. For this particular story, we interviewed experts who generally referred to people with vaginas and uteruses as women.
Penises are not the only genitals that ejaculate. Although it may not happen as frequently, and it may look a little different than those full-blown squirt scenes in porn, vaginas have the ability to ejaculate, too.
Female ejaculation (also called female cum, female fluid release, or vaginal ejaculation) can come in all “shapes and sizes.” What it looks like or how the sensation manifests largely varies depending on an individual’s body. Some people say it feels similar to needing to urinate, and others say it’s a feeling of release they don’t even realize is happening. But because vaginal ejaculation isn’t talked about often, some people can be self-conscious if they feel it happening to them.
“People with vaginas often feel shame around the fluids that are produced from their bodies during sexual stimulation, and it’s important for them to remember that this is natural,” certified sexologist and tantra practitioner Tyomi Morgan tells POPSUGAR. “Lubrication makes sex feel even greater, and these excretions are forms of cleansing that are beneficial to overall health.”
If you’re ready to learn more about what female ejaculation is — including how it’s different than squirting — let’s get into what experts have to say.
What Is Vaginal Ejaculation?
Vaginal ejaculation is the production of copious amounts of lubrication in the form of creaming or gushing,” Morgan explains. It’s a thick white fluid that “looks like diluted milk, but is a lot sexier,” adds Jenni Skyler, PhD, certified sex therapist and resident sexologist for sex-toy retailer Adam & Eve. According to a review published in the journal Clinical Anatomy, vaginal ejaculation comes from the paraurethral glands (or the Skene’s glands) and is “the secretion of a very small amount of fluid.”
What Is Squirting?
Similarly to vaginal ejaculation, squirting is the “discharge of a noticeable amount of fluid” following direct sexual stimulation, per a study published in the National Library of Medicine. As explained by Morgan, “squirting is emitted through the urethra from the bladder at peaks of pleasure during sexual stimulation.” Betsy Greenleaf, DO, a board-certified urogynecologist and advisor for pH-D Feminine Health, describes the consistency as being “clear and watery.”
Is Squirting “Real”?
Though you may think squirting is a made-up phenomenon only seen in porn, squirting is very real. You just might not realize that you or your partner squirted because there may not be an explosion or projectile of fluid like you’d typically see in porn. After all, as Skyler explains, “some people squirt just a few little drops at times — sometimes during sex, during orgasm, or after orgasm.”
Is Squirt Pee?
There’s a lot of debate out there about whether or not squirt is pee. Unfortunately, there’s no real consensus on what comprises the fluid released in squirting, Dr. Greenleaf says. Because squirt does come from the urethra, some squirting fluid may contain urine while other fluid may not. That said, it shouldn’t matter if squirting is pee or not.
If you’re experiencing the sensation of squirting, allow yourself to embrace and welcome the pleasure without worrying about where the liquid is coming from. “People who squirt should focus on the joy and pleasure that orgasm and intimacy brings, and be in awe of how the human body functions,” Dr. Greenleaf says. If you do feel self-conscious about the fact that squirting feels eerily similar to peeing, however, you can go to the bathroom right before you start play to help relieve some of those anxieties.
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What’s the Difference Between Vaginal Ejaculation and Squirting?
While vaginal ejaculation may often be confused with squirting (or thought to be one and the same), there are differences. The biggest difference is that squirting comes from the urethra, while vaginal ejaculation comes from the paraurethral glands (or the Skene’s glands), which are located next to the urethra, according to the review in Clinical Anatomy.
Another difference stated in that same review is the amount and type of liquid expelled. “Squirting is considered as a transurethral expulsion of approximately 10 milliliters or more of transparent fluid, while [vaginal ejaculation] is considered as a secretion of a few milliliters of thick fluid.”
Lastly — and though there is still a lot of debate — the review states that squirting is more similar to urine (since it’s “expelled by the urinary bladder”), while the fluid in vaginal ejaculation contains a higher concentration of “prostate-specific antigen” from the paraurethral glands, which explains its thicker, milkier consistency.
That said, because these are two similar but completely different phenomenons, it is possible to both squirt and vaginally ejaculate at the same time.
Can Everyone With a Vagina Squirt or Ejaculate?
Yes, it is believed that all people with a vagina can squirt and ejaculate, Dr. Greenleaf confirms. However, there are many things that factor into whether or not someone will, including dehydration, stress, and being on certain medications that can affect sex drive or blood flow to the pelvis. You shouldn’t put pressure on yourself to squirt or ejaculate the same way you shouldn’t feel pressure to orgasm. After all, the act of worrying about squirting or ejaculating could actually make you less likely to. If it happens, that’s great. If it doesn’t, that’s also totally OK.
How to Make Yourself or Your Partner Squirt
Though there’s no magical formula or XYZ equation that can make you or your partner squirt or ejaculate, there are some things you can keep in mind.
Before you even start with the physical sensations, warm yourself up with some mental stimulation. “Relax” and “get out of [your] head and into your body,” Morgan says. No need to put pressure on yourself to orgasm or squirt or ejaculate, just allow your mind to relax and your body to enjoy. If you have to, breathe slowly and deeply to relax the mind. Inhale for five seconds, then exhale for 10.
Dr. Greenleaf notes that the more you’re mentally stimulated, the “more blood flows down below, adding to sensitivity and secretions.” To do this, you can take a super-hot, steamy shower, listen to an audio-porn app like Dipsea, or fantasize about the type of sex you want, all before you even touch yourself.
Once you feel ready for more, focus on G-spot stimulation since, more often than not, squirting or ejaculation occurs with stimulation of the anterior wall of the vagina, Dr. Greenleaf says. To reach this area, you can use sex toys made specifically for G-spot stimulation, like the LELO SORAYA 2 ($183), or, if you’re having penetrative sex, you can tell your partner to angle their penis or strap-on upwards so that it’s “directed at the front wall of the vagina,” Dr. Greenleaf says. Fingers are also a great way to reach the G-spot; just angle them into a “come hither” motion along the upper side of the vaginal wall. The area should feel spongy.
After a few minutes, you may feel a pressure-like sensation building. If you do, relax your pelvic floor muscles and let the feeling come over you. If you feel the urge to urinate, this is normal. “Don’t hold back and resist urinating,” says Dr. Greenleaf. This could lead to squirting or ejaculating. (Just note that squirting can also occur with or without orgasm, “so don’t be alarmed at a sudden gush of fluid coming from the urethra during stimulation,” says Morgan.)
Keep in mind that your body might require a different sort of stimulation to experience squirting or ejaculating, and that’s OK. Though vaginal ejaculation and squirting can be fun and pleasurable, it doesn’t need to happen in order to have a good time during sex. You’re still normal if you don’t squirt, so try not to get too bent out of shape if you don’t get the hang of it right away or if it never happens.
As for partners? Of course, it’s great if you want your partner to experience the pleasure of squirting or ejaculating — but it may or may not happen. Refrain from putting pressure on yourself or your partner to achieve either, and enjoy sex for the beautiful, exploratory experience it is. As long as you enjoy the (literal) ride of sex, that’s all that matters.
— Additional Reporting by Taylor Andrews