Can Stress Affect The Female Reproductive System?

It is apparent that stress affects many things, but can it affect the female reproductive system? If so, what can women do about it? The complex answer to this question will be broken down in this post.

Every human that lives and breaths has a brain. That brain has many functions, most of which are incredibly complex and imperative for survival. The functions of the brain that aren’t necessarily imperative for a set of breathing lungs and a beating heart can still affect our wellbeing.

In the human brain, there is a neuroendocrine system that regulates the body’s control of stress. It’s called the HPA axis or hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland are both located in the brain. The adrenal glands sit right ontop of the kidneys. Below is a step-by-step description of how this system works.

1. Hypothalamus: recognizes stress in the body and releases CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone)

   1. CRH: signals to the pituitary gland

2. Anterior pituitary gland: releases ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) in response to CRH

   1. ACTH: signals to the adrenal glands

3. Adrenal glands: produce and release cortisol and DHEA in response to ACTH

   1. Cortisol: primary glucocorticoid/steroid hormone that causes levels of glucose to rise through a process in the liver

   2. DHEA: converted in the body’s tissues into estrogen and testosterone

Simply put, stress increases levels of glucose, estrogen, and testosterone in the body. Glucose is important for our brains to function and does help the body respond to stressful situations. Although, when stress is frequently experienced, levels of glucose, estrogen, and testosterone are higher than they should be. Consistently high levels of glucose can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance also increases androgens (testosterone!) in the body. High levels of androgens interfere with the female menstrual cycle. The hormonal interplay in the female body is very delicate. Estrogen needs to rise on a steady slope and peak affectively to allow for ovulation to occur. If the female body is overwhelmed with higher levels of androgens, that delicate system gets “thrown off balance”. This can result in anovulatory cycles (cycles without ovulation). Some women with anovulatory cycles don’t experience a period bleed at all and others experience a period bleed but have no signs of ovulation (no positive LH tests, continuous discharge, etc). In addition to anovulatory cycles, high levels of androgens can cause unwanted symptoms in women such as oily skin, acne, excess hair growth in unwanted places, etc.

What can women do to decrease levels of androgens in their bodies?

1. First, find ways to lower psychological and physical stress:

   • Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night at consistent times. The HPA axis operates on a circadian rhythm, naturally releasing more cortisol in the morning and less at night. By regulating sleep and developing good sleep hygiene, cortisol regulation improves.

   • Decrease glucose intake. It’s not necessary to completely cut out all of your favorite sweet foods, but it’s important to learn how to regulate how much you eat, when you eat it, and what you eat it with. By decreasing glucose spikes and flattening your glucose curve, you give your body a better chance of fighting insulin resistance and healing your cells. Check out the book Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspe.

   • Improve your gut health. An unhealthy gut makes an unhealthy woman. Gut health is often overlooked, but it plays a key role in helping the body heal. By having a healthy diet focused on protein, healthy carbs and fats, lots of veggies, and foods with antioxidants and probiotics, you give your gut a better chance of healing.

   2. Second, seek help from a certified holistic fertility coach and/or medical professional who can look into your lab work and help you identify what might be causing disruption in your body.

It is important to keep in mind that this blog post is for educational purposes only. If you suspect that you are experiencing major hormone disruption, contact me so we can speak more in depth about your symptoms over a zoom or phone call. If I find that you need further evaluation from a medical doctor or nurse practitioner, I will refer you to trusted FEMM doctors and/or nurse practitioners to help you fully heal and become an active participant in your healthcare.

Resources:

Thau, L. (2023, August 28). Physiology, Cortisol. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/

Diving into DHEA: The overlooked hormone and its impact on women’s vitality. Rupa Health. (2025, January 14). https://www.rupahealth.com/post/diving-into-dhea-the-overlooked-hormone-and-its-impact-on-womens-vitality

Sheng, J. A., Bales, N. J., Myers, S. A., Bautista, A. I., Roueinfar, M., Hale, T. M., & Handa, R. J. (2021, January 13). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: Development, programming actions of hormones, and maternal-fetal interactions. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7838595/