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Do Women Have a Prostate?
In the sexual world, there’s lots of buzz about the magic of the male prostate and how stimulating it can add to pleasure during sex. You may have wondered, at one point or another, if women have a prostate too. The answer: sort of… You’re in the right place to find out!
We’ll cover all the ins and outs of this wonderful organ, including tips to keep you healthy, no matter the body you’re working with.
What Is a Prostate?
First off, let’s get this definition straight. A prostate is a walnut-sized gland present in people assigned male at birth. The prostate sits between the bladder and the penis, just opposite the rectum. The prostate has an essential role in the reproductive function of people assigned male at birth since it creates the fluid that carries sperm out of the penis during ejaculation.
However, most people aren’t talking about the prostate because of its reproductive purposes. Rather, the prostate is mostly used in conversations about sexual pleasure. That is because the prostate is surrounded by thousands of nerve endings, making it super sensitive.
Many people find that stimulating the prostate during masturbation or sex leads to mind-blowing orgasms.
So… Do Women Have a Prostate?
The short and simple answer is no. Women do not share the same prostate gland as men. However, women have their own version of similar glands that play a significant role in their reproductive system.
They’re called Skene glands, located on either side of the urethra. In fact, skene glands develop from the same cells that eventually form the prostate gland in people assigned male at birth.
Skene glands link the urethra and the vagina, shifting during pregnancy and birth. When you hear someone use the phrase “female prostate, " they refer to the skene glands.
What Are the Functions of Skene Glands
Skene glands play an essential role in a person’s body, just like the prostate in people assigned male at birth.
Sexual Function
The Skene glands have many roles in a person’s body, but its sexual functions are prominent.
The glands are responsible for helping lubricate the vagina during sexual arousal, making sex comfortable. This happens as the glands around theSkene glands, the clitoral tissue, swell, push on the glands, and cause them to release a mucus-rich fluid.
Additionally, Skene glands are thought to be the source of the milky-white fluid that can be released during an orgasm, also known as female ejaculation. Although this thought is sometimes disputed, the belief comes from the fact that the milky white fluid released during female ejaculation contains some of the same proteins as the fluid released during ejaculation from people with a prostate.
Urinary Function
The urethra is the tube that carries urine to exit your body, meaning it’s an essential part of your urinary system. The Skene glands are responsible for releasing certain fluids into your urethra to lubricate it, making urine move easier in your urinary system.
Additionally, the Skene glands contain antimicrobial substances that, when released, can help prevent urinary tract infections.
Pleasure
Some researchers believe that the Skene glands, and the area around them, make up the female “G-spot.”
The G-spot is believed to be an area inside the vagina with an increased sensitivity level and can produce an orgasm when stimulated. Although the existence of the G-spot is debated, it seems that the area is generally sensitive, and the sensitivity levels can vary from person to person.
Complications
One of the most common complications with the Skene glands is Skenitis. Skenitis is caused when the Skene glands become infected and inflamed.
Once you get Skenitis, your Skene glands become extremely tender, which can cause discomfort during urination, frequent urination, pain around your urethra, pain near your pubic bone, or during penetration. Luckily, Skenitis is usually cured with antibiotics.
Unfortunately, you can also develop cancer in the Skene glands. However, unlike cancer in the prostate, cancer in the Skene glands is incredibly rare. In fact, there have been less than 20 documented cases of cancer in the Skene glands.
Male Prostate Functionality
Now that we understand what the Skene glands are and their functionality, we can compare them to the functionality of the prostate found in people assigned male at birth.
Sexual Function
As we have already discussed, the prostate is crucial for reproductive health. Without a healthy prostate, your semen would not have the proper fluid to travel outside the body. Additionally, the prostate swells during arousal and ejaculation, pushing the fluid and semen out of the body.
Urinary Function
Although the prostate is located right under the bladder, it does not play a role in the functioning of your urinary system, which is different from the role of the Skene glands. However, if problems arise in your prostate, problems with your urinary system may come as a result.
As people with a prostate get older, the prostate naturally grows in size. But if your prostate becomes too large, you might develop a condition called BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia.
When the prostate gets too large, it can press on your urethra, disrupting your ability to empty your bladder fully, leading to a weak urine flow or giving you a consistent feeling of a full bladder.
Pleasure
One of the most commonly known features of the prostate is its ability to provide pleasure. Many people find that stimulating the prostate can cause intense pleasure and full-body orgasm.
There are many ways to stimulate the prostate, but most people use a penis, fingers, or toys. If you are using a penis to penetrate someone’s anus to stimulate the prostate, apply a sufficient amount of lube to the anus and the head of the penis.
Ensure the person being penetrated is properly aroused and comfortable and takes long, deep breaths.
One of the easiest ways to stimulate the prostate is to use fingers. The prostate is located only a few inches within the anus, so you can access it by inserting one or two fingers and pointing your fingers toward your belly button.
Once you find the prostate, you can use a “come hither” motion, tap your fingers up and down, or stimulate it by moving your finger in a small circular motion.
There are many different kinds of anal toys that you can use, and many of them are specifically designed to stimulate the prostate. If you are looking to try anal toys but don’t know where to start, we recommend checking out prostate massagers. These will fit snugly in your anus and will stimulate your prostate with vibrating patterns.
What Are the Potential Complications?
Besides BPH, there are a few other complications that can arise related to the prostate.
Prostatitis is a common but painful condition that causes the prostate to become red and swollen. You can develop bacterial prostatitis, which is caused by a bacterial infection in the prostate, or chronic prostatitis, the exact causes of which are unknown.
You can also develop asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis, which does not cause symptoms and usually doesn’t require treatment. If you have chronic or bacterial prostatitis, you may experience pain in the scrotum and anus, UTIs, fevers, problems with urination, or body aches.
Each type of prostatitis ranges in severity and symptoms and usually looks different for every person.
Another extremely common complication of the prostate is prostate cancer. Sadly, prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in people who are assigned male at birth.
Common symptoms include having trouble urinating, blood in urine or semen, erectile dysfunction, or a weak urine stream. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately book a prostate exam with your doctor.
Takeaway
In short, no, women do not have a prostate. But they have Skene glands, the female version of the prostate and serve similar bodily functions. The prostate and Skene glands are crucial elements of the reproductive system and can provide pleasure.
However, another similarity between the Skene glands and the prostate is that they both can develop serious health complications.
Prostate health is vitally important, so treat your body as your best friend. If you were assigned male at birth, be sure to get regular prostate exams once you are above the age of 40, and if you have Skene glands, be sure to visit your gynecologist and get pap smears every three years.
As you get to know yourself physically and sexually, prioritize and check in on your health often!
Sources:
Biology - antimicrobial agents | University of Birmingham
Skene's glands abscess an overlooked diagnosis in acute lower urinary symptoms | PMC