Female ejaculation is characterized as an expulsion of fluid from the Skene's gland at the lower end of the urethra during or before an orgasm. It is also known colloquially as squirting (or gushing), although research indicates that female ejaculation and squirting are different phenomena, squirting being attributed to a sudden expulsion of liquid that partly comes from the bladder and contains urine.

Female ejaculation is physiologically distinct from coital incontinence, with which it is sometimes confused.

There have been few studies on female ejaculation. A failure to adopt common definitions and research methodology by the scientific community has been the primary contributor to this lack of experimental data. Research has suffered from highly selected participants, narrow case studies, or very small sample sizes, and consequently has yet to produce significant results. Much of the research into the composition of the fluid focuses on determining whether it is, or contains, urine. It is common for any secretion that exits the vagina, and for fluid that exits the urethra, during sexual activity to be referred to as female ejaculate, which has led to significant confusion in the literature.

Whether the fluid is secreted by the Skene's gland through and around the urethra has also been a topic of discussion; while the exact source and nature of the fluid remain controversial among medical professionals, and are related to doubts over the existence of the G-spot, there is substantial evidence that the Skene's gland is the source of female ejaculation. The function of female ejaculation, however, remains unclear.