Normative study of age variation in salivary progesterone profiles

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Abstract
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.