What is a Progesterone Test? Purpose of Progesterone Test?
February 15, 2021 Womens Health 645 ViewsWhat is a Progesterone Test?
A progesterone test measures the level of progesterone in the blood. Progesterone is a hormone that is produced by a woman’s ovaries. Progesterone plays an important role in pregnancy. It helps prepare the uterus to support the fertilized egg. Progesterone helps in milk production in the breasts. However, progesterone levels vary during a woman’s menstrual cycle. The level of progesterone increases after the ovaries release an egg. If you become pregnant, the level of progesterone increases and helps in the development of the baby in the body. Also, if you do not become pregnant, the progesterone level goes down and the period starts. The level of progesterone in a pregnant woman is higher than in a woman who is not pregnant. Let us explain in detail about the Purpose of Progesterone Test in today’s article.
- What is the Purpose of Progesterone Test?
- Preparation before Progesterone Test
- What is the Procedure of Progesterone Test?
- What are the Risks of Progesterone Test?
- What do the Results of Progesterone Test mean?
What is the Purpose of Progesterone Test?
A progesterone test may be recommended based on the following conditions.
- Progesterone test can be done to know about the status of pregnancy.
- Progesterone test can be done in the process of treatment of infertility.
- Progesterone test can be done to find the cause of infertility.(Read more – Causes of Infertility in Women)
- Progesterone test can be done to find out the risk of a miscarriage.
- Progesterone test can be done to find out if progesterone levels are abnormal in the body.
Preparation before Progesterone Test
Unlike other tests, no special preparations are required for a progesterone test. The patient does not have to be on an empty stomach during the test. The doctors will ask some questions, such as when did your menstrual period come and what was the last date and give complete information about the pregnancy month, etc. (Read more – Home Remedies for Breast Pain)
What is the Procedure of Progesterone Test?
During the test, the doctor will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After injecting the needle, a small amount of blood is collected in a test tube or vial. When the needle goes in or out, you may feel a little sting. This test normally takes less than five minutes.
What are the Risks of Progesterone Test?
A progesterone test is a simple test that measures the level of progesterone in the blood. Although this test carries very little risk. Mild pain or bruising may occur at the spot where the needle was put in, but these symptoms go away quickly.(Read more – Problems that occur during menstruation)
What does the Result of Progesterone Test mean?
This test is done to detect any problem related to pregnancy so that appropriate treatment can be given. The progesterone test results may be normal or abnormal. If the result is normal, then the health is good, and if it is abnormal, then it indicates a risk or a complication. The results of the test may vary depending on the age of the woman, medical history, method used for the test, and other factors. This test does not always imply that you have a problem.
Normal Results –
- 0.1 to 0.3 ng/ml for girls
- 0.1 to 0.7 ng/ml in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle
- 2 to 25 ng/ml in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle
- 10 to 44 ng/ml during the first trimester of pregnancy
- 19.5 to 82.5 ng/ml during the second trimester of pregnancy
- 65 to 290 ng/ml during the third trimester of pregnancy
Abnormal Results – Progesterone blood test results are abnormal due to other conditions. These include the following factors.
- Such as – If the progesterone level starts increasing during pregnancy, this means that the woman is pregnant with twins or it is an abnormal type of pregnancy called a molar pregnancy.
- If you do not become pregnant, an increase in progesterone level means that you may have a type of ovarian tumor called a lipid ovarian tumor, or chorionepithelioma.
- A decrease in progesterone during pregnancy may mean that you are at risk of miscarriage (spontaneous abortion).
- When you are not pregnant, low progesterone can mean that you do not have enough female hormones, known as hypogonadism.
We hope your question, what is the progesterone test, is answered through this article.
If you need more information about the progesterone test, then you can contact a Gynecologist.
We only aim to give you information through the article. We do not recommend medication or treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you good advice because no one else is better than them.
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