Fertility

Fertility—in its broadest sense—for women means being able to become pregnant and to deliver a baby.Too often in thinking of fertility we ignore men’s important part in this process; problems with a man, although less well documented, likely account for half of all infertility.Fertility in women requires a lot of things to be optimal—we require normal anatomy (ovaries, open and working fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina), regular menstrual cycles (having enough estrogen) and ovulation (egg release) providing an egg that can be fertilized. In addition, the corpus luteum from which the egg is released needs to provide enough progesterone and keep providing it for at least 12 days (so that the endometrium will be prepared for the fertilized egg to implant). Obviously we have to be interested in and have sex at the right time in the cycle. We are usually most fertile from the start to the end of stretchy midcycle mucus. It is essential also to have normal immune function that is compatible with the sperm so that the egg doesn’t block sperm fertilization and so that the fertilized egg is not blocked from implanting into the uterus. After all that, the corpus luteum needs to continue to make enough progesterone to support the implanted egg until about 12 weeks into the pregnancy at which time the placenta takes over making progesterone.Thus fertility is a multi-organ, multi-system complex process that usually works quite normally.

Perimenopause – women’s misunderstood, confusing, and long midlife transition.

Dr. Prior presenting at the Fraser Health Wellbeing Guest Speaker Series where she discussed Perimenopause – women’s misunderstood, confusing, and long midlife transition. This presentation was recorded at the Surrey Memorial Hospital, BC in December 2023.
Video: The Perimenopausal Power of Progesterone-Interview with Eliza Riley

Think your estrogen is low in perimenopause? Think again! In this video interview with Eliza Riley, Professor of Endocrinology Dr. Jerilynn Prior, founder of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR), reveals the surprising truth about your hormones –and why your sleep and mood are all over the place! Discover why progesterone might…
Dr. Prior’s Interviews on Fempower Health-The Podcast

In 2021 and 2022, Dr. Jerilynn Prior was featured in four insightful podcast interviews conducted by Georgie Kovacs from Fempower Health. These episodes delve into crucial topics concerning women’s health, providing valuable information and expert perspectives.
Conscious Fertility Podcast Ep. 89 – Decoding Hormonal Balance: The Power of Progesterone with Dr. Jerilynn Prior

In this episode of Conscious Fertility, host Dr. Lorne Brown engages in an enlightening conversation with Dr. Jerilynn Prior, a trailblazing endocrinologist and professor at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Prior shares her 40+ years of research on the importance of progesterone in women’s reproductive health, the reality of hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause, and how…
Frequently Asked Questions about Anovulatory Androgen (AAE, or PCOS)

Frequently Asked Questions about Anovulatory Androgen (AAE, or PCOS) Are women with AAE estrogen deficient since they often have skipped periods or amenorrhea? You would think so, since many women with far-apart periods do have low estrogen levels. But surprisingly, estrogen levels are normal or high in women with AAE. Estrogen levels are at least…
When Should I Have Sex to Get Pregnant?

I am a 36-year old woman and we have been trying to conceive for a while. I know my fertile window is 3 days before ovulation the day of and after ovulation. Does that mean that you cannot fall pregnant if you engage in sexual activity a week before your next period? Thank you for your…
Perimenopause Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Jerilynn C. Prior answers FAQ’s from Perimenopausal Women 1. My doctor has prescribed Clonidine 50mg and Prometrium 100mg daily to treat my hot flushes. Should I start both? In general, it is important to do ‘one at a time’ when trying out medications or any intervention for a symptom or a problem. If you…
Documenting Ovulation with Quantitative Basal Temperature (QBT)

If our cycles are regular – about a month apart we assume we are ovulatory – meaning releasing an egg and making normal amounts of progesterone. However, ovulation is highly variable for all women. Progesterone raises our first morning (or basal) temperature a little bit. But so do many other things. Thus “basal body temperature”…
Preventive Powers of Ovulation and Progesterone

This series of articles, originally published in the CeMCOR newsletter, illustrate the importance of ovulation throughout women’s reproductive life. Scientific evidence shows that ovulation (and therefore an approporiate progesterone level) is necessary for the optimum development and functioning of several physiological systems in women’s bodies. The articles explain what ovulation is and address some of…
Ovarian Hormone Therapy for Women with Early Menopause

We hear a lot of things about hormone therapy (often wrongly called Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT) (1). Most of the time when “HRT” is used it is referring to the treatment of women who had natural (not surgical) menopause at a normal age. Before about 1998 we believed that estrogen made everything better, but…