Test Overview
A progesterone test measures the amount of the
progesterone in a blood sample.
is a female hormone produced by the
during release of a mature egg from an ovary
(). Progesterone helps prepare the lining of
the uterus () to receive the egg if it becomes
fertilized by a sperm. If the egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels drop
and menstrual bleeding begins.
During pregnancy, the
also produces high levels of progesterone,
starting near the end of the
and continuing until the baby is born.
Levels of progesterone in a pregnant woman are about 10 times higher than they
are in a woman who is not pregnant.
Some types of cancer cause
abnormal progesterone levels in men and women.