Perimenopause Is Second Puberty and Is Temporary

Perimenopause, or “second puberty,” is the two to ten years before the final period. It’s different from menopause (or post-menopause), which is the life phase that begins one year after the final period. Symptoms can occur during perimenopause and are temporary.

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The Crucial Difference Between Progesterone and Progestins

progesterone versus progestinProgestins such as drospirenone, levonorgestrel, or medroxyprogesterone are not progesterone.

That’s because progesterone is not a generic term like estrogen. Instead, progesterone refers only to the hormone made by the corpus luteum or taken as oral micronized progesterone.

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How Science Got It Wrong About Progesterone

Progesterone is important for women's health.

Progesterone has been both ignored and mistakenly blamed for side effects it does not cause. How did that happen?

First, progesterone was discovered after estrogen, so, according to endocrinology professor Jerilynn Prior, missed being part of the tidy hormone dichotomy of “testosterone for men and estrogen for women.”

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The Right Way to Test Progesterone with the Menstrual Cycle

testing progesterone

The next time your doctor orders a progesterone test, ask yourself: “When is the right day to do this test?”

Forget “day 21 progesterone.” There’s no reason to test progesterone until you are approximately one week before your period. That will depend on how long your cycle actually is.

Here’s what you need to know about progesterone testing.

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