Jerilynn is a Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of British Columbia. She has spent her career studying menstrual cycles and the effects of the cycle's estrogen and progesterone hormones on women's health. She is the founder (2002) and Scientific Director of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR).

She is also Director of the BC Centre for the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMOS) that is studying osteoporosis, fractures and bone density in both women and men. Dr. Prior has studied women's menstrual cycles, perimenopause and the causes for and treatment of osteoporosis. She is the author of Estrogen's Storm Season--stories of perimenopause, and has recently co-authored The Estrogen Errors--Why Progesterone is Better for Women's Health.

In today’s show, we talk about the important role that regular ovulation plays not only in a woman’s menstrual cycle and in her fertility but in her overall health in many ways, more specifically with respect to a woman’s bone health, heart health, and breast health.

Topics discussed in today's episode

• Why it is possible to have a regular period and not actually be ovulating regularly
• What is the relationship between progesterone and ovulation?
• How having short luteal phases negatively impacts bone density in women
• What impact do estrogen and progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle have on bone formation and bone loss?
• What is the impact of hormonal contraceptives on bone health?
• Do hormonal contraceptives cause bone loss?
• How does the pill impact bone density in women who start taking it as teenagers?
• How long does it take for a woman's menstrual cycle to mature?
• What impact do hormonal contraceptives have on menstrual cycle maturation?
• What is it about Depo Provera that causes bone loss in the women who take it?
• The relationship between ovulation and heart health
• How is breast health impacted by fluctuating progesterone and estrogen levels?
• How is the menstrual cycle impacted by stress?

Connect with Dr. Prior

You can connect with Jerilynn on her Website, and on Facebook and Twitter!

Resources mentioned

• The Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CEMCOR) | Dr. Jerilynn Prior
• Ask Us | Submit Your Questions Here | CEMCOR | Dr. Jerilynn Prior
• Preventative Powers of Ovulation and Progesterone (pdf)
• Ovulation and Menstrual Cycles

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Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by Sirc of (The Nock)