Vaginal Progesterone
Vaginal progesterone is progesterone placed in the vagina, close to the uterus. It often comes as a small waxy insert called a vaginal progesterone suppository. The hormone is the same one the corpus luteum makes after ovulation.
The vaginal route has a long record in restorative care. A 1980 clinic review found 13 women whose only problem was luteal phase deficiency. Nine of them conceived while using it1. In a 1987 series, early loss reached 10 percent in treated women and 42 percent in controls2.
Support may reach past early pregnancy. A 2003 trial assigned 142 high-risk women at random to the hormone or a placebo. Preterm birth before 37 weeks came in 13.8 percent on the hormone and 28.5 percent on placebo3.
Cited in this entry
- Rosenberg SM, Luciano AA, Riddick DH. The luteal phase defect: the relative frequency of, and encouraging response to, treatment with vaginal progesterone. Fertility and Sterility. 1980. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7398902/
- Check JH, Chase JS, Nowroozi K, Wu CH, Adelson HG. Progesterone therapy to decrease first-trimester spontaneous abortions in previous aborters. International Journal of Fertility. 1987. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2885282/
- da Fonseca EB, Bittar RE, Carvalho MH, Zugaib M. Prophylactic administration of progesterone by vaginal suppository to reduce the incidence of spontaneous preterm birth in women at increased risk: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12592250/
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult an RRM clinician or healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation.
