Squirting 101: What is it and how to achieve it

You’re likely reading this to find the answer to that age-old question: is squirting an actual, real thing?

We’d like you to stay but for the sake of efficiency, in a word, yes! Squirting is an honest-to-goodness real thing that the body is capable of.

But what squirting is and why it happens is kind of new in terms of research and study. It’s not elusive, it just doesn’t happen for everybody. It’s also not just something that happens in a wildly imaginative and totally unattainable adult movie scene.

Let’s unpack what squirting is and isn’t, why it happens, and some sex tips if you’d like to achieve it.

What is squirting and is it female ejaculation?

Squirting is an expulsion of watery liquid from the urethra, which is the part in the body that passes urine through the bladder out. The name (squirting) has some interesting PR: squirting can sound juvenile or too dirty, something to laugh at, and it’s often quite tied to the dramatic way it's portrayed in adult films. Squirting is often seen and felt as a gush of fluid. There’s so much more to squirting that includes the overall bodily sensation of pleasure. Squirting is the reaction.

Now, squirting and female ejaculation both come from the same area. Female ejaculation isn’t the greatest name because it excludes trans and non-binary folks, but it does have a milky substance similar to the ejaculated substance from people with penises. If you have the ability to squirt and ejaculate, which may not happen for everyone, it is possible to feel them both at the same time.

Why does squirting occur?

Essentially, squirting occurs because of a build-up of fluid needing to be released. Now, why it happens for certain people and not others remains a bit of a mystery to researchers. According to a study from over a decade ago, anywhere from ten to 54% of people may have experience squirting. Because squirting and female ejaculation get used so interchangeably, despite occurring due to different internal mechanisms, that might account for that broad data set.

Sex tips: How to squirt

Thinking about this experience for yourself? If you’ve never achieved squirting before, or female ejaculation, here are some basic sex tips to get you started.

Drink water. It’s an expulsion of fluid so you need fluid!
Strengthen pelvic floor. There are tiny muscles in your pelvic floor that are major assets during sex. Get to know them by toning and strengthen them with Kegel exercises.
Foreplay. Foreplay is always going to be the best way to introduce anticipation and desire, and a lot of bodily sensations. It’s like revving the engine, so to speak, before blasting off down the road. Try incorporating K-Y^® LUBRICANT^* during foreplay with your partner to feel different sensations that can relax, enhance, or quicken pleasure—less friction means more fun.
Lots of stimulation. Whether it’s sex toys or penetration by your partner, stimulation, particularly around the G-spot, and perhaps using lube for couples, is going to be a big help.
Surrender to the sensation. Let go and see where that feeling of ecstasy takes you!