The menstrual cycle of a fertile woman is caused by hormones. During this time, the ovaries and the uterus react to hormones such as estrogen and progesterone that are controlled by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Estrogen causes the...
Progesterone is a hormone that can be made by the body or ingested in pill form. The American Pregnancy Association states that it is produced by the ovarian follicle in the earlier stages of pregnancy, and by the placenta after around week 10....
Progesterone is a hormone produced in females and that can also be taken as a supplement. The American Pregnancy Association states that progesterone is produced by the ovarian follicle and also by the placenta. It helps to maintain the uterus and...
LH is also known as luteinizing hormone. Luteinizing hormone is actually present in both sexes, and is made by the front part of the pituitary gland (also known as the anterior pituitary). Luteinizing hormone binds to the gonads and has its...
Menstruation (also known as menstrual periods) is a result of a monthly cycle of hormones and their effects on the uterus. In the first half of the menstrual cycle, levels of the hormone estrogen rise, which causes the uterine lining to become...
According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), approximately 85 to 90 percent of all infertility cases are treated either by providing fertility drugs to women or through reproductive organ surgery. One of the leading causes of...
The male and female gonads--the testes and ovaries, respectively--arise out of a common embryonic tissue called the primordial gonad. Likewise, the male penis and female clitoris arise from a common precursor called the genital tubercle. For the...
Pain in the abdomen is a common symptom that can be caused by a variety of problems. Difficulties within the intestines, gallbladder, pancreas and female reproductive organs can all cause it. The exact location of the pain and the way it develops...
The menstrual cycle is when the lining of the uterus is shed in a monthly cycle to prepare the body for reproduction. There are several changes that occur to the female body during menstruation, including hormonal imbalance. The Mayo Clinic...
Bravelle is a brand name in the United States for the generic drug urofollitropin, and Menopur is a brand name of a medication that combines a luteinizing hormone (LH) and a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Both are used in the treatment of...
Between 5 and 10 percent of reproductive-age women suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, the most common cause of infertility, according to the National Institutes of Health. PCOS is a complex syndrome with disruption of both hormonal...
The corpus luteum, which is what remains of an ovarian follicle after the release of an egg, produces the hormone progesterone. The corpus luteum continues to maintain progesterone levels throughout the first trimester of your pregnancy, after...
It is not unusual for a man to grow thick, dark hair on his face, chest and back. When this pattern of hair growth occurs in a woman, however, it indicates a condition known as hirsutism. If the cause of unwanted hair involves elevated androgens,...
Menopur, or menotropins, is a prescription medication that is a gonadotropin and ovulation stimulator. It's used in conjunction with hCG in infertile women to induce ovulation and pregnancy. It is also used for stimulating multiple follicle...
Progesterone is a hormone that plays an important role in your menstrual cycle. The rise and fall of progesterone in your body is associated with stimulating your menstrual cycle and is also associated with pregnancy. If your progesterone levels...
HCG drops contain human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone produced by the placenta during the early stages of pregnancy to aid in sustaining the fetus. Dieting using HCG drops may be beneficial to some as you may lose 1 to 2 lbs. per day....
Progesterone produced by the female reproductive system is critical to fertility. If progesterone levels do not increase after the midpoint of the menstrual cycle, this may signal ovulation failure, a common cause of infertility. Even if...
Ovulation is one of the events that takes place each month during your reproductive cycle; it's the release of a mature egg from one of your ovaries, and it has to happen for you to conceive a baby. If you don't ovulate regularly, taking vitamins...
Getting pregnant is not always easy; in fact, it can be quite difficult. For ovulation to occur, hormone levels must be balanced properly. If not, anovulation may occur. There are ways to track progestrone levels and ovulation. By keeping track of...
You can't get pregnant without both estrogen, a hormone that helps a mature egg develop and ovulate, and progesterone, a hormone produced after ovulation. Breastfeeding might interfere with hormone production and could cause both low estrogen and...
Many women struggling to conceive a baby turn to fertility medications for help. Although many fertility medication options successfully promote healthy ovulation and increase the likelihood of conception, these medications can also cause multiple...
Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by the placenta early in pregnancy. Home pregnancy tests read levels of hCG to give a positive or negative pregnancy test result. Because these tests don't determine the exact amount of...
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition that causes infertility in women because of infrequent ovulation, decreased progesterone production, insulin resistance and cystic ovaries. Not all women with PCOS will have all of these...
Clomid (clomiphene citrate) is an oral medication that is used to treat infertility. It is prescribed for women who do not ovulate regularly and want to become pregnant. Acne occurs when a skin pore gets blocked and becomes inflamed. A small...
FSH, or follicle stimulating hormone, governs the growth of ovarian follicles. FSH levels on day two or three of the menstrual cycle reflect "ovarian reserve," the number of good eggs still left in the ovary, according to David Bruce Sable, M.D....
Healthy women may take oral contraceptives from the onset of puberty through menopause. Combined estrogen and progestin make up what is commonly called "the pill," which works by inhibiting ovarian follicle development and altering the female...
During a woman's childbearing years, progesterone plays a vital role in preparing her body for pregnancy, and subsequently, in sustaining a pregnancy. After childbirth, a woman's progesterone level plummets. In some women, progesterone levels...
Follicle Stimulating Hormone, or FSH, is produced in the pituitary gland inside your brain. This hormone stimulates the production of eggs along with a hormone called estradiol during the first half of your menstrual cycle. FSH reaches your...
The endocrine system controls and regulates the complex functions of the human body. Complex bodily functions are controlled by special chemicals called hormones which are secreted by glands. The glands which comprise the endocrine system include...
