Progesterone blood test
In short
A typical adult progesterone result is under 0.89 ng/mL for women (follicular phase (first half)), under 12 ng/mL for women (mid-cycle (ovulation)), 1.8 to 24 ng/mL for women (luteal phase (second half)), under 0.2 ng/mL for women (after menopause) and under 0.2 ng/mL for men. A higher progesterone is expected after ovulation and in pregnancy, so the day of the cycle matters most. Outside those times, a high level is uncommon. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
A hormone that rises after ovulation to prepare the womb for pregnancy.
Progesterone stays low in the first half of the cycle, rises after ovulation, and falls again before a period. So a result only makes sense next to the day of the cycle, or whether menopause has happened. A level about a week after ovulation is often used to check that ovulation took place.
Is my Progesterone high or low?
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Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Female · follicular phase (first half) | under 0.89 | ng/mL |
| Female · mid-cycle (ovulation) | under 12 | ng/mL |
| Female · luteal phase (second half) | 1.8–24 | ng/mL |
| Female · after menopause | under 0.2 | ng/mL |
| Male | under 0.2 | ng/mL |
| Female · follicular phase (first half) | under 2.8 | nmol/L |
| Female · mid-cycle (ovulation) | under 38 | nmol/L |
| Female · luteal phase (second half) | 5.7–76 | nmol/L |
| Female · after menopause | under 0.6 | nmol/L |
| Male | under 0.6 | nmol/L |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your Progesterone is high
A higher progesterone is expected after ovulation and in pregnancy, so the day of the cycle matters most. Outside those times, a high level is uncommon.
Common reasons
- The second half of the cycle, after ovulation
- Pregnancy, when progesterone rises a lot
- Hormone therapy or fertility treatment
- An ovarian cyst, a fluid-filled sac on an ovary
- Less often: a rare inherited hormone condition, or a hormone-making tumor
If your Progesterone is low
Low progesterone is expected in the first half of the cycle, after menopause and in men. In the second half of the cycle, a low level can be a sign that ovulation didn't happen that month.
Common reasons
- Blood drawn too early or too late in the cycle
- A cycle without ovulation, which happens now and then
- The years before menopause (perimenopause)
- PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a common hormone condition
- High stress, very low weight or very hard training
- Birth control pills, which usually stop ovulation
What can throw it off
The day of the cycle matters most, hormone treatments change the level, and biotin, a hair-and-nail supplement, can distort some tests.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1Was this drawn at the right point in my cycle to check ovulation?
- 2Should it be repeated in another cycle?
- 3Could my birth control or hormone treatment affect it?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read Progesterone alone. These usually sit next to it.
Quick answers
What is the progesterone blood test?
Progesterone: A hormone that rises after ovulation to prepare the womb for pregnancy. Progesterone stays low in the first half of the cycle, rises after ovulation, and falls again before a period. So a result only makes sense next to the day of the cycle, or whether menopause has happened. A level about a week after ovulation is often used to check that ovulation took place.
What is a normal progesterone level?
For most adults, progesterone is typically under 0.89 ng/mL for women (follicular phase (first half)), under 12 ng/mL for women (mid-cycle (ovulation)), 1.8 to 24 ng/mL for women (luteal phase (second half)), under 0.2 ng/mL for women (after menopause) and under 0.2 ng/mL for men. Some countries print it in nmol/L, so check the unit first. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high progesterone mean?
A higher progesterone is expected after ovulation and in pregnancy, so the day of the cycle matters most. Outside those times, a high level is uncommon. Common reasons include the second half of the cycle, after ovulation; pregnancy, when progesterone rises a lot; hormone therapy or fertility treatment; and an ovarian cyst, a fluid-filled sac on an ovary. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What does a low progesterone mean?
Low progesterone is expected in the first half of the cycle, after menopause and in men. In the second half of the cycle, a low level can be a sign that ovulation didn't happen that month. Common reasons include blood drawn too early or too late in the cycle; a cycle without ovulation, which happens now and then; the years before menopause (perimenopause); and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), a common hormone condition.
What can affect my progesterone result?
The day of the cycle matters most, hormone treatments change the level, and biotin, a hair-and-nail supplement, can distort some tests.
What should I ask my doctor about my progesterone?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: Was this drawn at the right point in my cycle to check ovulation? Should it be repeated in another cycle? Could my birth control or hormone treatment affect it?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
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