The curious idea that women, like their male counterparts, may too be capable of ejaculation during intercourse is one that has fascinated researchers and couples alike.
The highly controversial phenomenon of female ejaculation–also referred to as female urethral expulsion–is an occurrence that has undoubtedly been experienced by many women. The concept of female ejaculation is cited as far back as ancient Greece and appears throughout history in publications such as The Pearl, a Victorian periodical, and in other pornographic literature during the period. Whether such mentions of female ejaculation were due to the belief in the phenomenon or whether they were pornographic fabrications is questionable, however, such fabrications seem unlikely to have been simulated for their erotic effect alone.
In a 1990 study, nearly half of all females who reported engaging in sexual activity also reported experiencing some form of ejaculation. Dr. Carol Anderson Darling of Florida State University, Dr. J. Kenneth Davidson of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch of Vanderbilt University administered anonymous surveys to 2,350 women in Canada and the United States. They found that when correctly stimulated, the Grafenberg Spot–commonly referred to as the G-Spot–can result in orgasms that are more likely accompanied by a squirt of fluid (ejaculate) compared to non-G-Spot orgasms.
Other experts such as Beverly Whipple, co-author of The G-spot, disagree. In the book, Whipple claims that the occurrence of female ejaculation is not restricted to G-Spot orgasms at all and can be experienced through clitoral orgasms. Whipple explains female ejaculate as looking like watered-down skim milk, tasting sweet and usually about a teaspoon in volume. According to Whipple, many women refuse to acknowledge their ejaculations as they tend to associate the process of ejaculation as an exclusively male phenomenon. As a result of this false consciousness, women are led to believe that ejaculation–a physically induced process–should be considered a shameful experience. Many women are convinced that it is not a normal part of female sexuality.
There are numerous physiological factors crucial in the occurrence and frequency of female ejaculation. The vast majority, interestingly enough, find a way of funneling themselves towards the controversial theories surrounding the G-spot.
However, researchers do agree that the origin of the ejaculate is an area they call the female prostate. The female prostate is a system of ducts and glands encompassing the female urethra. It is considered homologous to the male prostate as it develops from the same embryological tissue and also analogous to the male prostate in terms of secretion production.
To dispel the idea that female ejaculate was actually urine, researchers obtained urethral expulsions from case studies to analyze the chemical composition. In four out of six studies conditioned to chemical analysis, Whipple found the fluid expelled from the urethra to be chemically different from urine, containing high levels of both glucose and fructose. The fluid also contained prostate-specific antigen, or PSA–the fluid produced by the prostate gland which forms the base of male ejaculate.
The possibility of female ejaculation at least offers justification for some fun and interesting research outside of your classes.