Progesterone (Pg)

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 following are normal ranges based on certain phases of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy:

• Female (pre-ovulation): less than 1 ng/mL
• Female (mid-cycle): 5 to 20 ng/mL
• Male: less than 1 ng/mL
• Postmenopausal: less than 1 ng/mL
• Pregnancy 1st trimester: 11.2 to 90.0 ng/mL
• Pregnancy 2nd trimester: 25.6 to 89.4 ng/mL
• Pregnancy 3rd trimester: 48 to 150 to 300 or more ng/mL
  

Which Patients is The Serum Progesterone Test From ZRT Best Used For?

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.

High Progesterone levels may indicate:

• Pregnancy
• A cyst in the ovaries
• A disorder in the adrenal glands (rare)
• Ovarian cancer (rare)
  

Lower Progesterone levels may indicate:

• Ectopic pregnancy
• Miscarriage
• Irregular Cycle