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G03DA04(WHO) AU:S4(Prescription only)CA:℞-onlyIn general: ℞ (Prescription only) (8S,9S,10R,13S,14S,17S)-17-acetyl-10,13-dimethyl-1,2,6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-one 57-83-0Y 5994 2377 DB00396Y 5773Y 4G7DS2Q64Y D00066Y CHEBI:17026Y ChEMBL103Y Interactive image CC(=O)[C@H]1CC[C@@H]2[C@@]1(CC[C@H]3[C@H]2CCC4=CC(=O)CC[C@]34C)C InChI=1S/C21H30O2/c1-13(22)17-6-7-18-16-5-4-14-12-15(23)8-10-20(14,2)19(16)9-11-21(17,18)3/h12,16-19H,4-11H2,1-3H3/t16-,17+,18-,19-,20-,21+/m0/s1NKey:RJKFOVLPORLFTN-LEKSSAKUSA-NY Progesterone(P4), sold under the brand namePrometriumamong others, is amedicationand naturally occurringsteroid hormone.It is aprogestogenand is used in combination withestrogensmainly inhormone therapyformenopausalsymp‍​‍‍‍​‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍​‍tomsandlow sex hormone levelsin women.It is also used in women to supportpregnancyandfertilityand to treatgynecological disorders.Progesterone can be takenby mouth,vaginally, and byinjectionintomuscleorfat, among otherroutes.Aprogesterone vaginal ringand progesteroneintrauterine deviceused forbirth controlalso exist in some areas of the world. Progesterone iswell toleratedand often produces few or noside effects.However, a number of side effects are possible, for instancemoodchanges.If progesterone is taken by mouth or at high doses, certaincentralside effects includingsedation,sleepiness, andcognitive impairmentcan also occur.The medication is anaturally occurringprogestogen and hence is anagonistof theprogesterone receptor(PR), thebiological targetof progestogens likeendogenousprogesterone.It opposes the effects ofestrogensin various parts of the body like theuterusand alsoblocksthe effects of thehormonealdosterone.In addition, progesterone hasneurosteroideffects in thebrain. Progesterone was first isolated in pure form in 1934.It first became available as a medication later that year.Oralmicronizedprogesterone (OMP), which allowed progesterone to be taken by mouth, was introduced in 1980.A large number ofsyntheticprogestogens, orprogestins, have been derived from progesterone and are used as medications as well.Examples includemedroxyprogesterone acetateandnorethisterone.In 2023, it was the 117th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 5million prescriptions.