hCGs

Human chorionic gonadotropin, often abbreviated as hCG, is a hormone produced in the placenta of pregnant women. Its primary role is to support the pregnancy by stimulating the corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine structure in the ovary, to continue producing progesterone. Progesterone is crucial for maintaining the uterine lining and preventing menstruation, thus ensuring the developing embryo has a stable environment.

HCG is the hormone that pregnancy tests detect. Both urine and blood tests can identify its presence, with blood tests being able to detect it earlier and in lower concentrations than urine tests. Levels of hCG rise rapidly in early pregnancy, typically doubling every 48 to 72 hours, and then plateauing around the 8 to 10 week mark before gradually declining in the later stages of pregnancy.

Beyond pregnancy, hCG has medical applications. It is sometimes used in fertility treatments to induce ovulation and can be administered to men to stimulate testosterone production in cases of hypogonadism. In rare instances, very high levels of hCG can be indicative of certain types of cancer, such as gestational trophoblastic disease. While primarily associated with pregnancy, understanding hCG's functions and detection is important in both reproductive health and certain medical diagnostics.