This is a single-marker test measuring progesterone. It can be ordered as part of a custom panel.
Progesterone is a hormone produced in the ovaries and plays an essential role in pregnancy. It helps make the uterus ready to support a fertilized egg and plays a role in milk production.
The levels of progesterone fluctuate during a woman's menstrual cycle. They start out low and then rise after the ovaries release an egg. If a woman becomes pregnant, progesterone levels will continue increasing as the body prepares to support a developing baby. If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels will decrease, and the menstrual period will begin.
Progesterone blood levels in a pregnant woman could be ten times higher than in a non-pregnant woman. Men also produce progesterone but in much smaller amounts.
The progesterone test is usually requested by physicians to find out the cause of a woman's infertility, to find out when a woman is ovulating, to determine the risk of a miscarriage, to monitor a high-risk pregnancy, to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy which is a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus.
A progesterone test can help the physician to determine if a woman is ovulating normally. In a pregnant woman, the test may be requested to check the health of the pregnancy. A physician may also request a progesterone test in a woman with a risk for miscarriage or infertility.
This is a single-marker test measuring progesterone.
