Understanding Hormones: The roles of Estrogen and Progesterone
How Estrogen and Progesterone levels affect women and men
Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development in women. Estrogen and progesterone help to regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and play an important role in pregnancy. While they are often thought of as ‘female hormones’, both estrogen and progesterone are also found in men.
To understand how these hormones are manufactured we need to look more closely at the ovaries, the site of production of estrogen and progesterone in women. The ovaries produce and release the two groups of sex hormones — progesterone and estrogen.
Estrogens
Estrogens are broken down into three groups, known as
- Estradiol (E2): the most common type in women of childbearing age
- Estrone (E1): the only estrogen your body makes after menopause (when menstrual periods stop)
- Estriol (E3): the main estrogen during pregnancy
These substances work together to promote the healthy development of female sex characteristics during puberty and to ensure fertility. Estrogen also has other functions:
- Keeps cholesterol in control
