Progesterone is a hormone that is secreted regularly every month in women and prepares the uterus for pregnancy. The amount of progesterone rises for a day or two in the second half of the menstrual cycle and then falls again with menstruation. The pills that women use as contraception are synthetic forms of progesterone.
Progesterone, a sex hormone secreted by the ovaries, is produced during ovulation under the control of the lutein-forming hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary. The hormone progesterone begins to thicken the endometrium (uterine wall) in order to ensure that the embryo, a fertilized egg, adheres or attaches to the uterine wall. However, if the egg is not fertilized within the appropriate period of time, the body reduces the secretion of the hormone progesterone and the uterine wall breaks down and is expelled, i.e. menstruation (menstrual bleeding) occurs.
Once the embryo is attached to the uterine wall, the ovary produces progesterone for eight weeks. After the first eight weeks, and for the rest of the pregnancy, the placenta produces progesterone.
What is a progesterone test? What does it do?
A progesterone test is a type of test to measure and examine the value of the hormone progesterone. According to the results of the test, which is performed together with a blood test, it is determined whether there is ovulation in the uterus. If the test result is 10 ng/mg and above, it means ovulation is present. Progesterone testing also plays an important role in diagnosing conditions such as infertility and luteal phase defect problems.
In which cases should progesterone medicines (progestin) be used?
Progesterone medicines are used in the treatment of miscarriage that may occur during pregnancy, prophylaxis of habitual abortion, preterm labor, infertility treatment and IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatments, treatment of menstrual irregularities. However, progesterone drugs can be used in PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), endometrial hyperplasia, catamenial epilepsy and to delay menstruation.
