The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. He had been trying to conceive for the better part of two years with no luck. His wife was healthy, had very regular cycles and had been thoroughly “checked out” early on. He was eating great, maintaining a good weight, and certainly treating his...Continue reading
Category: Fertility
Cycling Toward Childlessness?
She looks at me earnestly, searching for approval and says: “I’ve made sure that he stopped bicycling as I have read that it’s bad for his fertility, right?” Not so fast. Saddle Sore There is hard data to suggest that bicycling long enough can impair erections, especially if the saddle results in pelvic numbness. But fertility? Not the...Continue reading
Taking Skin Out of the Game
“I think I need to be cut, Doc.” He was 18-years old and his sexuality was flowering. I really couldn’t think of even half a reason to do a circumcision on him. But then he went on: “It’s getting hard to pee, and it hurts to have sex.” Ok, so maybe something really is going on. I...Continue reading
The Oldest Sperm on Earth
Imagine that: 20 million year old sperm! You think you’re good…how’s that for longevity? They may be petrified, but hey, they made it all the way to modern times. The fossilized fighters were found in an ancient cave in Australia and recently reported (read the Los Angeles Times take here) as the oldest ever found on this good earth. And guess what...Continue reading
Playing the Genetic Cards You’re Dealt
The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. It’s unbelievable how your genes, those tiny little chunks of DNA that make you who you are, can be sources of both delight and despair in life. Azoospermic Angst My lovely patient was trying to conceive for several years. Upon evaluation, he was found to be...Continue reading
The Anatomy of the Ejaculate
Here’s a million dollar question: From whence does the ejaculate come? The word “semen” is actually Latin, derived from “cemani” meaning “juice.” Great, Doc, but where does the juice actually come from? A Complex Sauce Fluids from several different body organs mix and mingle before being expelled as ejaculate. The much-maligned prostate, a reliable cause of urination issues with age,...Continue reading
Confused About T? You Should Be!
Is it right for me? Is it good for me? It is life’s elixir or a dram of Shakespearean poison? Welcome to the trouble with testosterone that we’re having at the moment. The T Buzz Let’s start with how you might come to know T. Take a look at the most popular “tool” used to screen...Continue reading
A Sperm Making Thing-a-ma-bob
You can patent a widget, or even a doohickey. Dr Seuss probably could have patented the yuzz-a-ma-tuzz, the diffendoofer, the wumbus and the wocket from his children’s books. But can you really patent an artificial human testicle? We did. Very recently, in fact. The issue notice has duly arrived, just in time for Father’s Day! Yessiree, just 6 sweaty years after we submitted the...Continue reading
Is Male Infertility a “Deadly” Disease?
Can being infertile kill you? Granted, it’s a disease, but is it really a “deadly” one? You might get that impression from recent press headlines: “Sperm Problems Tied to Death in the Near Future” “Low Sperm Means Shorter Lifespan” “Male Infertility as Sign of Premature Death” Not so fast, cowboy! Let’s look at things a little closer.Continue reading
Know Before You Go: Sperm FNA Mapping
You know that the food is good when guests ask for more. That’s why I am absolutely delighted at the invitation from my urological colleagues to lecture about sperm FNA mapping at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction (SSMR) in Orlando, Florida this week.