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Normative study of age variation in salivary progesterone profiles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

S. F. Lipson  and
P. T. Ellison
S. F. Lipson
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
P. T. Ellison
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Summary

Daily luteal progesterone levels were measured for 124 regularly menstruating women, aged 18–44, by radioimmunoassay of steroid levels in saliva. A consistent pattern of age variation in luteal function was found, with the lowest levels of progesterone in the 18–19-year-old and 40–44-year-old groups, the highest values in the 25–34 year olds, and intermediate values in the 20–24 and 35–39-year-old groups. The striking similarity of this pattern of age variation with empirically and theoretically generated curves of apparent fecundability, suggests that age-related changes in ovarian function may underlie observed age variation in fecundability.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , April 1992 , pp. 233 - 244
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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