Can low progesterone harm fertility?

Doctor's Answers 1

Progesterone is an important hormone that can effect your ability to conceive and also your ability to maintain a healthy pregnancy.

The role of progesterone when trying to get pregnant is to thicken the endometrium (uterine lining) to a desired thickness which is essential for implantation of the embryo in the uterus (womb) and therefore to achieve a successful pregnancy.

Low progesterone levels can potentially cause irregular menses which can then affect the timing of your intercourse. Progesterone levels are usually low in the early part of your menstrual cycle and tends to rise after you have ovulated (release of the egg from your ovary into the Fallopian tube during your fertile period).

If your progesterone levels remain low after your fertile period, this may indicate that you have not ovulated and therefore you may experience some difficulty in getting pregnant in addition to having irregular menstrual cycles.

Once you are pregnant, progesterone is needed to maintain the endometrial thickness and to support your pregnancy so much so that low progesterone levels are associated with abnormal vaginal spotting / bleeding during early pregnancy and also increase risk of miscarriage.

Similar Questions

What is the recommended frequency for getting an STD test check up?

The recommended frequency of STD testing will vary for different individuals. If you have had your testing performed 6 months ago, and have not had ANY sexual partners since, then I would say it is not really necessary to test unless you have any symptoms of concern. However, if you have had sexual intercourse with a known partner but no NEW sexual partners as you mentioned, then your decision to test would depend on whether you have concerns about your partner's status.

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Answered By

Dr Jonathan Ti

General Practitioner

In order to ensure conclusive STD test results, how long should I wait after having unprotected sex before getting screened?

There is an incubation period from potential exposure to a STD from unprotected sex to when your body form antibodies to fight the STD. Why there is an incubation period for STD tests: STD tests look for the presence of these antibodies during testing, and if the STD tests are done before incubation period has ended, there may not be enough time for your body to develop enough antibodies for it to show up in testing, causing a false-negative result. Even after you have waited for the incubation period to end, you may not see signs or symptoms of the STD.

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