Dear Healthy Men: I can’t stand the music my kids play (and yes, I realize that my parents said the same about me, and their parents said the same about them, and so on. But the difference is that my kids have sent me links to articles that supposedly prove that listening to music (they’re...Continue reading
Category: Family Issues
Maternity Leave: Great Idea, but What About Dad?
Dear Healthy Men: I just read that the United States is one of the only industrialized countries in the world without a paid maternity leave program. Where do you stand on that issue? A: We support it—and we’re glad to see that President Joe Biden and others in his administration have come out in support of...Continue reading
How to Help Your Kids Make New Friends
Having friends is not just fun but very important for children. Friendships give kids a sense of belonging and help them with developing various social skills. However, all children are different, so it is only natural that some have difficulties making friends. If you think you recognize your kids in this sentence, don’t worry. There...Continue reading
How Your Relationships with Your Children Change When They Leave Home
Dear Mr. Dad: Our daughter is going away to college. On one hand, I’m thrilled that she’s becoming so independent. But we’ve always been very close and I’m worried that our relationship will suffer. Will it? A: Well, the day you’ve hoped for and dreaded is finally here. Your child is going to move out. Some...Continue reading
Communication is Key—Especially the Listening Part
Dear Healthy Men: I’m always trying to talk with my husband about health, parenting, our relationship, and other things. But we never seem to be able to have a decent conversation. Why is it that so many men aren’t able to communicate their feelings? A: While I’d love to be able to answer your question, I...Continue reading
In Vitro Fertilization vs. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
In vitro fertilization or IVF has been around for over 40 years and is a proven treatment for many forms of female and male infertility. It has even earned itself a Nobel Prize. Known as “test tube baby” technology, it is more aptly called “petri dish conception.” By putting half a million sperm and one egg...Continue reading
Voicing Your Preferences for a Mate—and More
Dear Health Men: You’ve talked about how a man’s height and weight affect how he’s treated, perceived, and how much money he makes. What about the pitch of his voice? A: As superficial as it is, voice pitch makes a big difference, largely because we associate it with something equally superficial: body size—at least according to...Continue reading
The Nitrous-Powered Vasectomy
Over the last 25 years and 2,500 no scalpel vasectomies that I’ve performed, I’ve have learned a lot about men. A famous cancer surgeon once told me that he thought that a well-done vasectomy under local anesthesia is “probably the hardest surgical procedure in the entire field.” Harder than taking out a bladder? Yep! Because you’re dealing with a...Continue reading
Love (or the Lack Thereof) in the Time of COVID
Dear Mr. Dad: Now that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be coming to an end, I’m curious about whether it has had much of an impact on family relationships, both between mom and dad and between parents and their children. A: I hope you’re right about the pandemic coming to an end. More than 100 million...Continue reading
How Does the mRNA COVID Vaccine Alter Us Genetically?
Actually, it doesn’t. It’s not putting a DNA “genetic code” into our bodies. Instead, it’s an injection of the downstream instructions for protein-making molecules called mRNA. These molecules are quickly broken down by cells soon after being injected and don’t have the capacity to genetically “transform” cells like DNA can. Some other facts about the...Continue reading