During early fetal development both male and female fetuses start out being physically female. This does not change until a male fetus begins to produce its own hormones around the eighth week of gestation. Only then does the physical development of the male and female bodies diverge, and then less than many may presume. This necessitates that female fetuses initially have structures that could develop into either "male" or "female" reproductive and sexual organs. This means the tissue that develops into the male prostate gland, the urogenital sinus, must also be present in women. This results in woman having a prostate gland too.
The first person known to have described the "female prostate" in Western medical literature was Reinier De Graaf (1641-1673) in the year 1672. He described it as a collection of functional glands and ducts surrounding the female urethra. He said the glands and ducts produced a "pituitoserous juice;" meaning it produces a thick mucous that is pale yellow or transparent in color. He said the function of this fluid was to make "women more libidinous with its pungency and saltiness and lubricates their sexual parts in agreeable fashion during coitus." Despite his observation modern Western medicine did not fully accept the concept of a "female prostate" until 2001 when the Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology agreed to use this term in their next edition of Histology Terminology.
Where did the female prostate disappear to for 329 years? Prior to the 20th century the term "female prostate" was commonly used within medical research literature but during the 20th century the female prostate was usually described as vestigial, i.e. not fully developed and non-functional, and was identified as either paraurethral or Skene's glands. While the components of the female prostate were known to exist they were not seen as structures of interest or importance; with a few exceptions. Since modern medicine did not see the female prostate playing an active and necessary role in reproduction it wasn't essential to understand its function. The female prostate is not believed to be affected by disease on a frequent basis and this likely contributed to the lack of interest within doctor offices and hospitals. When the female prostate became a medical concern by becoming enlarged or causing discomfort during urination or intercourse it was called female urethral diverticulum or female prostatitis. I wonder how many urinary tract infections (UTIs) have been incorrectly diagnosed and treated?
The male prostate is an distinct organ that surrounds the male urethra but the female prostate lies within the wall and along the length of the female urethra, as indicated in the illustrations shown above and below. It is part of and contained within the wall of the urethra, and the urethra is contained within the wall of the vagina. The average size of the female prostate is 1.3 inches long, 0.75 inches wide, 0.4 inches in height (3.3 x 1.9 x 1 cm), and weighs about 0.2 ounces (5.2 grams). Which means it is a relatively small organ about the size of a woman's thumb. Despite its smaller size "it possesses all the structural components of the male prostate."
What Does the Female Prostate Do?
We know little about the function of the female prostate and its role within the body. At present it is known to have two primary functions. The first is produce and store prostatic fluid in ducts, which is the function of an exocrine gland. The prostatic fluid contains prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate-specific acid phosphatase (PSAP or PAP), and fructose, a sugar. The numerous ducts of the prostate drain into the urethra. "Pure prostatic fluid has not yet been isolated and it has been studied only as a component of the female ejaculate..." The second function is the releasing of hormones into the blood stream, as a result of stimulation by the nervous system; a process performed by neuroendocrine cells. The only hormone known to be produced by the female prostate in this way, as of the year 2000, was serotonin. Serotonin plays an active role in many functions of the body. The female prostate is thought to be influenced by estrogens, as the male prostate is influenced by androgens, but I am aware that the male prostate is also influenced by DHEA, a precusor to both estrogens and androgens. PAP has been found on the underwear of women when it has been in constant contact with the vulva indicating the prostate is always producing prostatic fluid, and this fluid production begins with the onset of puberty. At this point, we simply need to acknowledge the existence of this organ and that it plays a role in the normal functioning of the female body; it isn't a figment of any one's imagination.
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