Elevated physiologic prolactin may not interfere with normal ovulation, but pathologically high prolactin has the potential to interfere with ovulation.
Prolactin, also known as the stress hormone, may be elevated when a woman is stimulated. Generally, the elevation of prolactin due to stress is a physiologic elevation of prolactin, and because the elevation is relatively short-lived, the inhibitory effect of prolactin on the gonadal axis is very small, and generally does not affect ovulation.
However, if there is a pathological problem, such as hypothalamic disease, pituitary disease, etc., because prolactin is one of the hormones secreted by the pituitary gland, ovulation is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, and the pathological elevation of prolactin will inhibit the normal secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, which may lead to abnormal menstruation, and thus may affect ovulation.