Serum Progesterone test: Purpose, procedure, results

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Lai Thi Nguyet Hang - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.

A progesterone test is a blood test that measures a hormone called progesterone. The test tells you your progesterone levels at that time. This test is valuable in some medical conditions such as finding the cause of infertility, checking for ovulation status, miscarriage or monitoring high-risk pregnancy. So what is the progesterone test like?

The serum progesterone test is a blood test that measures a hormone called progesterone.
Progesterone is very important during pregnancy. It prepares your body to support a fertilized egg. If you're pregnant, progesterone also helps your mammary glands make milk.
Progesterone also helps control your period. In general, progesterone levels increase each month as you ovulate and your body is getting ready to get pregnant. If you're not pregnant, progesterone drops and triggers your period. If you become pregnant, progesterone will continue to rise. During pregnancy, progesterone is about 10 times the normal level.
By itself, a serum progesterone test is not sufficient to diagnose any particular problem. But it might help, along with other tests. You can also use a home progesterone urine test to see when you're ovulating and your chances of getting pregnant.

Your doctor can use the serum progesterone test to:
Find out why you are not getting pregnant when you are trying Check if you are ovulating and when Check if you are at risk of a miscarriage high pregnancy pregnancy or not Tracking a high risk pregnancy Diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy when a fertilized egg implants outside your uterus

The test tells you your progesterone level at that time. You don't need to do anything to prepare. But it helps if you note the start of your last period.
The check in itself is very simple. Your doctor, physician's assistant, or another health care professional will insert a needle into a vein in one of your arms and draw a little blood for laboratory testing.

Your results may be one of the following:
Progesterone levels do not fluctuate frequently : This will be determined through a variety of tests. If tests show that your progesterone levels aren't rising and falling every month as they should, you may not be ovulating or have regular periods, which could make it harder for you to get pregnant.
Low progesterone levels: This may depend on when the test is done in your cycle. If the test shows lower-than-normal progesterone levels, it could be because:
Your ovaries are not working as they should or you are not ovulating Possible pregnancy abnormally High levels of progesterone : If your test you show higher than normal progesterone levels, which can be due to:
Pregnancy with one or more babies Cysts on your ovaries Disorders affecting your adrenal glands Ovarian cancer Progesterone levels Normal: Progesterone levels within a certain range can signal that you've ovulated. The test should be done 18 to 24 days after the first day of your period or 7 days before your next expected period.

If your doctor orders a serum progesterone test, you may also get:
Other blood tests to check your fertility Home urine tests look at progesterone byproducts as an indicator ovulation alert Ultrasound to measure the thickness of your uterine lining A specific blood test, if you are pregnant, to know if there is a problem with your pregnancy Vinmec now implements a Package Basic gynecological examination and screening. This examination package can detect inflammatory diseases early, making treatment easy and inexpensive. When registering for the Basic Gynecological Examination and Screening Package, customers will receive:
Gynecological examination. Transvaginal ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries. Bilateral breast ultrasound. Tests such as: Treponema pallidum rapid test, Chlamydia rapid test, taking samples for cervical-vaginal cytology, bacterioscopic staining (female vaginal fluid), HPV genotype PCR automated system, total analysis Automated urine collection.

Reference source: webmd.com