The main female hormones are estrogen and progesterone, which are manufactured in the ovaries, are activated in adolescence and experience constant variations during a woman’s daily life.
Factors that change the amount of female hormones include time of day, menstrual cycle, health status, menopause, use of certain medications, stress, emotional factors, and pregnancy.
Female hormones have different functions
Progesterone is a hormone responsible for regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle and prepares the uterus to receive the fertilized egg, preventing it from being expelled by the body, making it very important in the pregnancy process. Normally, progesterone levels increase after ovulation, and if there is a pregnancy, they are kept high for the walls of the uterus to continue to develop. However, if there is no pregnancy, the ovaries stop producing progesterone, resulting in the destruction of the lining of the uterus, which is eliminated with menstruation. Understand how the menstrual cycle works.
Like progesterone, estrogens are also responsible for regulating the hormonal cycle during reproductive years. During puberty, estrogen stimulates breast development and maturation of the reproductive system, as well as growth, and alters the distribution of body fat in women, usually deposited around the hips, buttocks and thighs.
Testosterone is a hormone that, although higher in men, is also found in women in smaller amounts. This hormone is produced in the ovaries and helps promote muscle and bone growth. The woman may suspect that she has a lot of testosterone in her bloodstream when she has typically male symptoms, such as the presence of hair on her face and a more severe voice. Learn more about how to identify and reduce testosterone in women.
Hormonal changes can put your health at risk, even preventing egg development and ovulation and preventing pregnancy, so it’s important to see your gynecologist regularly and, if necessary, perform tests:
Blood tests: consist of the evaluation of various hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, TSH, which is a hormone produced in the thyroid and that influences the menstrual cycle, LH and FSH, which are hormones related to the functioning of the ovaries. See the values and how to understand high or low FSH.
Pelvic ultrasound: involves observing any abnormalities of the reproductive organs, especially in the uterus and ovaries;
For each test, specific preparation may be necessary, so it is necessary to talk to the doctor at the time of the appointment, to know if the test is necessary at a specific time of the menstrual cycle or in a vacuum. head, for example.
During pregnancy, the decrease in hormones, which usually occurs at the end of the menstrual cycle, does not occur and therefore does not occur the menstrual period. Then a new hormone, HCG, is produced, which stimulates the ovaries to produce higher levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are necessary to maintain pregnancy. For this reason, most pregnancy tests involve detecting this hormone in your urine. Learn more about how this type of test works.
After the fourth month of pregnancy, the placenta becomes responsible for the production of most estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause the lining of the uterus to thicken, increase the volume of blood circulating and relax the muscles of the uterus enough to make room for the baby’s development.
At the time of delivery, other hormones are produced that help the uterus contract during and after delivery, as well as stimulate the production and release of breast milk.
Menopause occurs when menstrual cycles cease to exist around age 50. It is a natural process that occurs due to a decrease in hormone production, which can cause symptoms such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, vaginal dryness, mood swings, weight changes, among others.
After menopause, it increases the risk of developing certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis or urinary incontinence, and it is important to understand the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy, which can improve symptoms and prevent disease.
Menopause doesn’t require treatment, but if your symptoms cause a lot of discomfort, your doctor may recommend:
It is also possible to opt for a natural hormone substitute, for example through dietary supplements such as soy cite lectin or soy isoflavones, or with herbal teas such as St. John’s wort or chastity tree. Here are some tips from our nutritionist to relieve these symptoms:
Female hormones can be used in men who identify as female (trans), but their use should be guided by an endocrinologist. Men typically produce estrogen and progesterone, but in very small amounts, the predominant hormone being testosterone, which guarantees male characteristics. If a man starts using female contraceptives, for example, containing high levels of estrogen and progesterone, there may be:
Despite the promotion of several feminine characteristics, certain male characteristics may persist, such as Adam’s nut, vocal timbre and bone structure. In addition, continued use of female hormones by men can increase the risk of osteoporosis and increased cholesterol, promoting atherosclerosis, for example, so it is important to be followed by the endocrinologist.