Skip to main content

HPA-HPG Axis

Meaning

The HPA-HPG Axis refers to the intertwined functional unit of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis, emphasizing their critical, reciprocal regulatory relationship in maintaining systemic homeostasis. This axis highlights how the stress response system (HPA) directly modulates the reproductive system (HPG), illustrating a key physiological trade-off. Clinically, this connection explains the common co-occurrence of chronic stress and reproductive dysfunction, such as amenorrhea or low testosterone.