[MENO-133] Hormones 101: Estrogen and Progesterone

Hormones 101: Estrogen and Progesterone

Click the buttons below to explore how these hormones function and what happens as levels shift during perimenopause.

During perimenopause

Normal function

Estrogen

Progesterone

Hormones 101: Estrogen and Progesterone

Click the buttons below to explore how these hormones function and what happens as levels shift during perimenopause.

During perimenopause

Normal function

Estrogen

Progesterone

Reproductive role

Reproductive role

• Drives puberty and breast development
• Maintains menstrual cycle
• Triggers ovulation
• Supports fertility
• Influences sex drive

• Prepares the uterus for fertilized egg
• Regulates menstrual cycle and triggers period if no pregnancy
• Supports embryo during early pregnancy
• Prepares the breasts for milk production during pregnancy

Overall health

• Maintains bone density
• Supports heart health and cholesterol levels
• Affects brain function and mood
• Helps regulate blood sugar
• Supports muscle mass

Hormones 101: Estrogen and Progesterone

Click the buttons below to explore how these hormones function and what happens as levels shift during perimenopause.

During perimenopause

Normal function

Estrogen

Progesterone

What happens

What happens

• Levels fluctuate and gradually decline
• Declining levels drive most perimenopause symptoms

• Ovaries produce less progesterone
• Estrogen temporarily becomes dominant

Common effects

Common effects

• Irregular or skipped periods
• Mood swings, irritability, anxiety
• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Sleep disturbances
• Vaginal thinning and dryness
• Reduced libido
• Lower bone density
• Cholesteral changes
• Reduced fertility

• Vaginal thinning and dryness
• Reduced libido
• Contributes to overall hormonal imbalance
• Reduced fertility