By Kenneth Play
The Great Squirt Debate
A client once told me about the first time she ever squirted. Her boyfriend was going down on her, and it just happened. She was mortified, thinking she peed in his mouth!
Often, when women squirt for the first time, it’s a surprise. They weren’t trying to make it happen. How they feel about squirting initially – whether they feel shame or pride – can affect the quality of their sex lives for the rest of their lives.
Squirting (often used interchangeably with the term female ejaculation) is one of the most searched sexual phenomena on the internet. But most of the content is either over-glorifying or shaming it, and myths around it abound.
My goal is to go beyond dispelling myths and dropping facts, beyond the science and into the practical realm, giving you tools like the method to make squirt as clear as Poland Spring, and ways for squirters to deal with the worry that they might just be peeing on their partner.
FAQ:
What is squirting?
Is squirt pee?
What is squirt made of?
What does squirt look, smell, and taste like?
What is the function of squirting?
Who Am I to Teach You About Squirting?
Let me tell you: I’ve had a lot of squirt on my hands (and a few other places)!
My perspective on squirting is unique, because I’m not only citing the science; I also have a lot of hands-on expertise to back it up. I’ve made a lot of people squirt (over 1,000 people, which is bigger than the sample size of many scientific studies)! And I’ve probably taught more people how to squirt than anyone else on the planet. VICE even did a whole episode on my squirting master class. I also co-created the largest survey on squirting to date.1Zhana Vrangalova and Kenneth Play, “Squirting Research Project,” https://squirtingsurvey.com.
What is Squirt Made of?
Where does all that liquid come from, and what exactly is it? There have been only a few small-scale studies done to look into this question, so the answer isn’t totally conclusive yet.
The current scientific definition of squirting is: any involuntary emission of fluid from the vulva. That is a crazy broad definition! That alone should let us know that the science on this topic is limited.2McVean, Ada (2018, September 11). Can Women Ejaculate? That Depends on Whom You Ask. McGill. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-history/can-women-ejaculate-depends-who-you-ask#:~:text=New%20studies%20have%20found%20antimicrobial,confer%20a%20protection%20 against%20UTIs. High quality, comprehensive scientific research on squirting is severely lacking. We seriously don’t have enough information on it right now. This is why I co-created the squirting survey, to further our understanding.1Zhana Vrangalova and Kenneth Play, “Squirting Research Project,” squirtingsurvey.com.
There are many types of fluid the vulva can produce — vaginal wetness, period blood, discharge — but in terms of squirting, let’s talk about the two main types of fluid involved.3Zlatko Pastor, Roman Chmel. 2017, December 28. Differential diagnostics of female “sexual” fluids: a narrative review. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29285596/
The first is a milky white substance, similar to the watery part of semen, that comes from the Skene’s /paraurethral glands (also known as the female prostate).4Emily Wernert, et al., “The ‘Female Prostate’ Location, Morphology, Immunohistochemical Characteristics and Significance,” European Urology, 1992, 22:64–69. https://karger.com/eur/article-abstract/22/1/64/131063/The-Female-Prostate-Location-Morphology The milky-white substance is the part that’s considered the female ejaculate, because it shares some of the components of male ejaculate.5Frank Addiego, Edwin G. Belzer Jr., Jill Comolli, William Moger ,John D. Perry &Beverly Whipple. 2010, January 11. Female ejaculation: A case study. The Journal of Sex Research. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224498109551094
The Skene’s glands surround the urethra and are similar to the prostate in men, because they develop from the same tissues in embryos. These glands are inside the urethral sponge, and one study found that only about 50-85% of all women actually have them—there is a lot we have yet to discover.6Dietrich W, Susani M, Stifter L, Haitel A. The human female prostate-immunohistochemical study with prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific alkaline phosphatase, and androgen receptor and 3-D remodeling. J Sex Med. 2011 Oct;8(10):2816–21. https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/8/10/2816/6980030 The actual function of the fluid produced by these glands may be to lubricate and protect the urethral opening. The glands are small, and the amount of fluid they produce is small, too—the volume of about ¼ teaspoon to a teaspoon.
Female ejaculate contains:
- High levels of prostate-specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase
- High levels fructose and glucose
- Almost no urea, creatinine, or uric acid
But if you’ve seen squirting in porn, you know it’s possible to squirt way more than a shot glass worth of liquid. Some people can fill up a Gatorade bottle. Larger amounts of fluid come from the bladder.7Alberto Rubio‐Casillas, Biologist, Emmanuele A. Jannini, MD. 2011, December 1. New Insights from One Case of Female Ejaculation. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/8/12/3500/6844420?
In our survey results, most participants reported squirting one to two shot glasses worth of liquid (49%), some reported ½ cup to a cup (19%), and others reported a trickle (15%).
The liquid from the bladder, which is released from the urethral opening (aka the pee hole), is what we refer to as squirt. The hypothesis is that the bladder can fill up rapidly with mostly water during arousal, and that fluid can be mixed with some of the same milky-white ejaculate from the Skene’s glands.8Pastor Z, Chmel R. Female ejaculation and squirting as similar but completely different phenomena: A narrative review of current research. Clinical Anatomy. 2022;35(5):616–25. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ca.23879
So, while squirt will be mixed with pee if there’s some urine left over in the bladder (if the bladder wasn’t emptied before sex), chemical analysis has shown that during sexual activity, the liquid that fills up the bladder is compositionally different than regular pee; it’s a clear, nearly odorless fluid that, when mixed with the female ejaculate, contains those prostate-specific compounds, as well as glucose and fructose, which aren’t usually present in healthy urine.6</span>Dietrich W, Susani M, Stifter L, Haitel A. The human female prostate-immunohistochemical study with prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific alkaline phosphatase, and androgen receptor and 3-D remodeling. J Sex Med. 2011 Oct;8(10):2816–21. https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/8/10/2816/6980030
One major reason some of the studies are inconclusive is that conditions aren’t consistently controlled for — from not knowing whether or not the subject has Skene’s glands, to not accounting for the initial hydration status, and some don’t even measure the amount of urine waiting in the bladder prior to stimulation.
So, what is the squirt cocktail made of? It depends on the mixology! And no particular mix is better than any other.
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What Does Squirt Look / Smell / Taste Like?
The studies say that the smell, taste, color, and look of squirt varies, but how does it actually vary? That also depends on the mixology!
In my personal experience, most of the time it’s clear like water with a very very mild smell, occasionally it looks yellowish like pee, and every once in a while it smells like something they’ve consumed, like asparagus or coffee. On rare occasions, I’ve seen a small amount of the milky-white ejaculate come out before the gush of clear liquid. On my hands, the ejaculate feels a little slippery, like male pre-cum.
Female ejaculate contains:
- Whatever waste product your body is processing (For example, if you had coffee or asparagus, your sweat and urine might have a very distinct smell, and your squirt could too)
- Whether you emptied your bladder before sex (versus having a full bladder of urine)
- Your hydration (drink enough water to pee clear before sex, get clearer squirt)
In appearance, it can range from clear to milky-white to yellowish.
In scent, squirt can range from a barely detectable smell to a strong scent (Remember the asparagus?). Fun fact: It works the same for men. Our ejaculate can smell like asparagus or coffee too! >_< From our squirtingsurvey.com results, we learned that most people didn’t think squirt smells like anything. The second most common response was that squirt smells a little bit like urine (just a hint), followed by the third most common response, that squirt smells like a vagina. A few mentioned sweet, salty, bitter, nutty, and floral scents and someone even found squirt to smell like popcorn!1Zhana Vrangalova and Kenneth Play, “Squirting Research Project,” squirtingsurvey.com.
In taste, it can range from barely any, to a teeny bit sweet (probably because of the fructose and glucose) to a bit bitter, if there is waste product from leftover urine.
How clear you like your squirt is a matter of preference. There are people who enjoy watersports (urine play), and some of those folks like their fluid to be apple juice yellow. 🧃🥂 Others like it clear as a mountain spring. Preferences vary, so fuck squirt-shaming! Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.
What is the Function of Squirting?
The purpose of squirting might be related to pleasure, but we don’t know for sure.
During sexual arousal, the genitals fill up with blood and get engorged, which prepares the body for sex. My hypothesis is that the bladder fills up rapidly with liquid during sex, thereby increasing internal pressure on the vagina which contributes to the engorgement (lady boner) of the entire clitoral complex.
The vagina is innervated with visceral nerves, which respond to pressure, and engorgement increases the sensation of pressure, which can help make sex more pleasurable. Just like stroking a raging boner feels more pleasurable to the receiver than touching a flaccid penis.
Squirting may also serve as a protective mechanism. You’ve probably heard the age-old advice: pee after sex. This is to reduce the likelihood of a UTI.
Another hypothesis about squirting, according to one 2009 study, is that female ejaculate contains antimicrobial compounds, like zinc.9Moalem S, Reidenberg JS. Does female ejaculation serve an antimicrobial purpose?. Med Hypotheses. 2009;73(6):1069-1071. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.07.024 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987709005131 These scientists suspect that those who can ejaculate antimicrobial compounds from the urethra would have less coitus-induced UTI’s (translation: UTI’s from fucking). So in other words, they theorize that female ejaculation could be one way nature protects us dirty fucks!
Squirting Apprehension
“Am I just peeing on my partner?” When it comes to squirting, apprehension is understandable. Some of the worries that come up might be: Is this just pee? Will my partner think it’s gross? Will I ruin the mattress? Will I stain the sheets? Who’s gonna sleep in the wet spot? Fuck, so much laundry!
Here’s some food for thought though: loads of people love anal sex, despite the risk that …dun dun DUN, there might be a touch of poop. They manage the risk by making preparations and taking precautions, but ultimately they have to accept that, sometimes, shit happens.
With squirting – yes, there may still be trace amounts of urine in your squirt – so a little bit of piss might happen. But squirt is not the same as peeing, and it is a perfectly natural sexual function that a lot of people experience.10Pastor Z. Female Ejaculation Orgasm vs. Coital Incontinence: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2013 Jul;10(7):1682–91. https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/10/7/1682/6940068 My goal is to help you deal with some of the shame and stigma around squirting and offer you a path to celebrate it if you choose to.
In the next section, I’ll offer you useful tools and protocols to tackle some of the common worries around squirting.
Worried About Peeing? Try the Crystal Clear Protocol.
If you want your squirt to be as clear as Poland Spring, you can try my Crystal Clear Protocol:
- Completely empty your bladder of all urine.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
- Empty your bladder again.
- Repeat until your urine is crystal clear.
- Then have sex!
Worried About Making a Mess? Try the Squirt Containment Protocol.
For worry-free squirting & easy cleanup, try my Squirt Containment Protocol:
- To make the least mess possible, you can fuck in the shower! (Or outside – your lawn won’t care!)
- But if you want to do it anywhere else in the house, there are loads of squirt-friendly products on the market.
- Always keep a waterproof cover on the bed. That way, nobody has to worry about their mattress!
You can also put a towel down, or (pro tip) put a puppy pad underneath the towel, because they are super absorbent and make for quick and easy clean-up. (A puppy pad on top of the bed can give off that hospital vibe. If that’s what you’re into, great, but if not, just put it under the towel.)
There are also blankets made specifically to absorb squirt and cum while keeping your sheets dry, if you’re feeling classy like that. Here’s my favorite.
These precautions are not just to protect the sheets and mattress, but give everyone the peace of mind to enjoy the experience without worrying the whole time.
Worried Your Partner Might Not Like It?
When people are more educated about squirting, they are more likely to enjoy it.11Florian Wimpissinger, Christopher Springer, Walter Stackl. 2013, January 25. International online survey: female ejaculation has a positive impact on women’s and their partners’ sexual lives. BJU International. https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11562.x Read this article with your partner, or watch my free tutorial to learn how.
Not everyone will like squirting – some love it, and some find it gross (just like anal sex). But know that there are tons of people out there who are super into it – if that wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t be such a huge porn genre! According to our squirting survey, most of the partners had positive reactions to their partner squirting for the first time. They report being excited (78%), turned on (71%), happy (68%), and proud (47%).1Zhana Vrangalova and Kenneth Play, “Squirting Research Project,” squirtingsurvey.com. Now, these partners chose to participate in our survey, so they might be more likely to be into squirting, but the important thing to know is that there were lots of them!
Broach the topic. Ask your partner, outside of the bedroom, if it’s something they might find hot and arousing. If it’s a yes, that can dispel your worries. If they aren’t interested, find someone who is, or explore it alone.
If you know that you are a squirter, it’s good etiquette to give any new partner a heads-up before the fun begins.
PRO TIP:
One of my favorite anal hacks, to make my partner feel more comfortable about having anal sex, is to take her into the shower, give her anus the spa treatment, and then give her a rim job while using a waterproof vibrator on her clit. This really eases potential apprehension, because she thinks, well, he already ate my ass! The same logic applies to squirting. If you are in my position, and you want your partner to be really comfortable squirting, try drinking it as though it is the nectar of the gods (which it has been called by the Tantric community)! When a squirter sees you swallow their juices with a smile on your face, they will know just how into it you are.
To Squirt or Not to Squirt
That is the question! Squirting is neither the pinnacle of sexual experience, nor is it something gross and disgusting. The real question is: is it something you want to enjoy? And if you do, here are some useful ways to think about it.
Squirting is normal and natural. It has been a part of human sexuality for more than 2,000 years.12Korda, Joanna B., Sue W. Goldstein, and Frank Sommer. “Sexual medicine history: the history of female ejaculation.” The journal of sexual medicine 7.5 (2010): 1965-1975. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01720.x According to a 2023 U.S. study of 3,000 women, a nationally representative sample, 41% of women ranging from 18-93 years old had squirted at least once.13Hensel, D. J., Von Hippel, C. D., Lapage, C. C., & Perkins, R. H. (2023). Vaginal Squirting: Experiences, Discoveries, and Strategies in a U.S. Probability Sample of Women Ages 18-93. The Journal of Sex Research, 1–11. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2023.2243939 Squirting is mentioned in ancient texts from India, Japan, and China. Some cultures really celebrate it. The East African practice of Kunyaza, for example, is centered around triggering female ejaculation and multiple orgasms.
Your perspective on squirting will dictate your experience. In Emily Nagoski’s book Come As You Are, she asserts that sexual desire is dependent on erotic context (your turn-ons and turn-offs).14Emily Nagoski, Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2015). https://www.amazon.com/Come-You-Are-Surprising-Transform/dp/1476762090 So if you think squirting is gross, you’ll feel shame when it happens. And if you think it’s hot, then you’ll celebrate the waterworks. Sometimes, even meeting a single person who loves squirting, or reading stories of people who are super into it, can change the context for you.
I agree with Dr. Nan Wise when she wrote “My experience is that once women get past the worry that they will mess up the sheets and accept that ejaculation isn’t the same as urination, they can let go and experience the full pleasure of squirting during sex.”
Squirt can be crystal-clear and easy to manage. Hydrate, and prep your play space.
Some people absolutely love to squirt on their partners and some people love to be squirted on!
Squirters tend to enjoy squirting more over time. According to our survey, 60% of squirters enjoyed squirting more when they were surveyed than when they first experienced it.1Zhana Vrangalova and Kenneth Play, “Squirting Research Project,” squirtingsurvey.com.
So… is squirting just like peeing? No. And in my opinion, it doesn’t really matter! To me, the only thing that actually matters is whether you (and your partner) enjoy it.
If you are curious about how to squirt, check out my free explicit tutorial, where I showcase my signature technique.
Let the waterworks begin!
Sources
is an internationally-recognized sexpert focused on female pleasure, sexual performance, & rapid skill acquisition. Named the “World’s Greatest Sex Hacker” by GQ, his pleasure technique videos have been viewed over 16M times. He is the Author of "Beyond Satisfied," and his uncensored video course, designed to teach men how to please women, is endorsed by sex educators, therapists, and women worldwide.
