OVERVIEW:
What is the progesterone (serum) lab test?
A progesterone (serum) lab test is a blood test that measures the level of progesterone in the blood.
Why is the progesterone (serum) lab test done?
A progesterone (serum) lab test is done in order to:
- Identify and manage fertility problems,
- Identify an ectopic pregnancy,
- Check when you are ovulating,
- Monitor a high-risk pregnancy.
What does a progesterone (serum) lab test measure?
A progesterone (serum) lab test measures the level of progesterone circulating in the bloodstream. Progesterone is a hormone that is produced by the reproductive organs in males and females. Progesterone plays a significant role in females by preparing the uterus for a fertilized egg, by maintaining pregnancy, and by inhibiting milk production during pregnancy.
Are there any risks associated with this test?
There are no known risks associated with this test.
What are the causes behind a raised progesterone level?
Pregnancy, ovarian cancer, adrenal cancer, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia raise serum progesterone level.
What are the causes behind a low serum progesterone level?
Lack of periods, failure to ovulate, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, and fetal death decrease serum progesterone level.
How should I prepare for this test?
No special preparation is needed for this test.
What does a progesterone blood test tell you?
A progesterone blood test checks for the amount of progesterone in your blood on the day of the test.
INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS:
Normal test results
In general, normal serum progesterone test results fall in the following ranges:
- men, postmenopausal women, and women at the beginning of their menstrual cycle: 1 ng/mL or under
- women in the middle of their menstrual cycle: 5 to 20 ng/mL
- pregnant women in their first trimester:2 to 90 ng/mL
- pregnant women in their second trimester: 6 to 89.4 ng/mL
- pregnant women in their third trimester: 4 to 42.5 ng/mL
Abnormal test results
Your test results are considered abnormal if they fall outside the normal ranges. In some cases, a single abnormal test result reflects normal fluctuations in your progesterone levels.
Your progesterone levels can fluctuate a lot, even over the course of a single day. In other cases, abnormally high or low progesterone levels may be a sign of an underlying health problem.
In addition to pregnancy, high progesterone levels can be caused by:
- ovarian cancer
- adrenal cancer
- congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a group of disorders that affect your adrenal gland
Low progesterone levels can be caused by:
- lack of periods
- failure to ovulate
- ectopic pregnancy
- miscarriage
- fetal death
A progesterone (serum) lab test is done in order to:
- Identify and manage fertility problems,
- Identify an ectopic pregnancy,
- Check when you are ovulating,
- Monitor a high-risk pregnancy.
