10 Things You Thought You Knew About Squirting That May Be Total Myths

And no, it's not the same as female ejaculation.

1. "Squirting only ever happens in porn."

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False. Maybe you've seen a few X-rated films and wondered if any real woman could actually finish like this. The truth is, yes, squirting is a totally real sexual phenomenon.

In 1904, a psychologist named Havelock Ellis argued that female ejaculate was the same as male semen. Then in 1984, a study found that female ejaculate, male ejaculate, and the fluid produced by squirting are actually three completely different things.

2. "It's basically the same as when men ejaculate."

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False. To begin with, male ejaculation is the expulsion of seminal fluid. The fluid produced during squirting is something else entirely. In 2015, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the fluid produced by squirting is mostly made up of urine.

Yes, that's right. Dr. Samuel Salama, one of the scientists in charge of the study, told BuzzFeed Life that, when analyzing this type of ejaculate, they found that it was practically identical to urine. Via an ultrasound, they also found that the bladder was emptied each time squirting occurred.

3. "Squirting is not the same as female ejaculation."

Globo

True. It took a while to reach a consensus on this, but the scientific community agrees that they are two completely different things.

Dr. Madeleine Castellanos, author of Wanting to Want, specifically mentions consistency as the differentiating factor, as she told BuzzFeed Life. The fluid produced while squirting is expelled from the urethra, whereas female ejaculate has a more viscous consistency, like saliva, and comes directly from the vagina.

4. "Squirting requires penetration first."

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False. A study published in Nature Reviews Urology suggests that squirting is related to the clitourethrovaginal complex, and can happen regardless of whether or not penetration has occured.

When pressure is being applied to the bladder and vagina, especially if it's connected to sexual arousal, fluid is more likely to come out. It can be caused either by penetration, or by external stimulation such as fingers, mouths, or toys.

5. "You need to have an orgasm in order to squirt."

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False. Squirting can happen independently from an orgasm. It can be caused by involuntary stimuli and, according to Dr. Salama, there is no anatomical predisposition that indicates whether a woman is more likely to experience this sexual phenomenon.

6. "Women cannot control if and when they squirt."

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True. As we said above, squirting is completely involuntary. Yes, you can try to stimulate the vagina, clitoris, and bladder at the same time, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll end up squirting.

Even Cytherea, one of the most popular adult film actresses in the squirting category, said in an interview with the Daily Dot that sometimes she can't do it because she's not fully in control of her body.

7. "You can't really prepare for squirting. It just happens."

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False. In the same interview, Cytherea states that in preparation for squirting, she drinks lots of fluids, such as milkshakes that are high in protein and electrolytes, and abstains from all sexual contact for a couple of days for the experience to be more intense.

8. "So, squirting is pretty much the same as being incontinent."

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False. Although it's scientifically proven that women can expel different fluids during arousal and intercourse, squirting is not related to what is known as "coital incontinence." This condition is a pathological symptom caused by a disorder in the urethra or a hyperactive bladder, and requires medical treatment.

Also squirting is not the same as urinating.

9. "You can squirt and experience female ejaculation at the same time."

CBS Films

True. The study conducted by Dr. Samuel Salama found that women who experience squirting can ejaculate at the same time, or not. This would explain the presence of prostatic fluid (because, yes, women do have a prostate) in the fluid produced by squirting.

10. "All women are capable of squirting."

Mattel

Uncertain. In a 1994 study, a survey was conducted that showed that only 6% of women said they had experienced the phenomenon. However, 60% of women surveyed said they had experienced what is known as female or vaginal ejaculation.

For her part, Cytherea says that you may have experienced squirting without even realizing it.

This post was translated from Spanish.