Progesterone Test
The Test Sample
What is being tested?
This test measures the level of progesterone in the blood. Progesterone is a hormone whose main role is to help prepare a woman’s body for pregnancy; it works together with several other female hormones.
On a monthly basis, the hormone oestrogen causes the endometrium (the lining of the womb, or uterus) to grow and replenish itself, while a surge in luteinising hormone (LH) leads to the release of an egg from one of the two ovaries. The corpus luteum (a small yellow mass of cells) then forms in the ovary at the site where the egg was released and begins to produce progesterone. This progesterone stops endometrial growth and prepares the uterus for the possible implantation of a fertilized egg.
If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum degenerates, progesterone levels drop, and menstrual bleeding begins. If a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone. After several weeks, the placenta replaces the corpus luteum as the main source of progesterone, producing relatively large amounts of the hormone throughout the rest of a normal pregnancy.
On a monthly basis, the hormone oestrogen causes the endometrium (the lining of the womb, or uterus) to grow and replenish itself, while a surge in luteinising hormone (LH) leads to the release of an egg from one of the two ovaries. The corpus luteum (a small yellow mass of cells) then forms in the ovary at the site where the egg was released and begins to produce progesterone. This progesterone stops endometrial growth and prepares the uterus for the possible implantation of a fertilized egg.
If fertilization does not occur, the corpus luteum degenerates, progesterone levels drop, and menstrual bleeding begins. If a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, the corpus luteum continues to produce progesterone. After several weeks, the placenta replaces the corpus luteum as the main source of progesterone, producing relatively large amounts of the hormone throughout the rest of a normal pregnancy.
How is the sample collected for testing?
A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein in the arm.
NOTE: If undergoing medical tests makes you or someone you care for anxious, embarrassed, or even difficult to manage, you might consider reading one or more of the following articles: Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety, Tips on Blood Testing, Tips to Help Children through Their Medical Tests, and Tips to Help the Elderly through Their Medical Tests.
Another article, Follow That Sample, provides a glimpse at the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.
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