Female ejaculation has something of a mythical reputation when it comes to sexual health topics. Everyone has questions: Can a vagina actually ejaculate like a penis? If it can, is that even normal? And what comes out, anyway? To get answers, we reached out to sex experts, who separated the myths from the facts.
What is female ejaculation?
Put simply, “vaginal ejaculation is the expulsion of fluid through the urethra during sexual arousal (but not necessarily orgasm),” New York–based sex educator Corinne Kai tells Health.
Does that mean vaginas can ejaculate? Well, that is why the phenomenon is colloquially known as squirting. But “what women define as ‘ejaculation’ varies widely, and there is no accepted scientific standard for qualifying as female ejaculation by the volume or speed of the expulsion,” Nicole Prause, PhD, a sex researcher at UCLA, tells Health.
What does female ejaculation look like?
So while one person might experience more of a forceful stream of liquid, another might feel a gushing sensation. “The fluid amount tends to range between 30 and 150 milliliters,” says Kai, which can be just a drop of liquid or so much that you soak your bedsheets. “Sometimes people don’t even realize they ejaculated until they move and see a wet spot, while others can feel when it’s happening,” she adds. “It depends on your body.”
Is female ejaculation actually urine?
The first major study that looked into squirting back in 2014 determined the liquid was actually pee. Yep, “the fluid comes from the bladder,” says Prause. Researchers found urea, creatinine, and uric acid concentrations-all major components of urine-in the excretions of all seven study participants. (Keep in mind that’s a tiny sample size, and it’s hardly considered representative of half the world’s population).
But the ejaculate is also not pee. “Many have argued that squirting isn’t real and that people who experience this just need to go to the bathroom before sex,” says Kai. “It is released through your urethra, but it’s been found to resemble enzymes found in male prostate fluid.” The male prostate gland sits between the bladder and penis and secretes fluid to help nourish sperm. Læs mere What Exactly Is Female Ejaculation—and Can Every Woman Do It?
