It was a welcome call from the Midwest: “Dr. Turek, thank you very much! We took your advice and it worked! My wife is pregnant.” Nice thing to hear from someone that I had never actually met. They had simply asked for my opinion. The first of many telemedicine pregnancies at The Turek Clinic.
Category: Fertility
Boxers verse Brief—Can your underwear lower your sperm count?
The wish to establish a family is a primal desire; however for 10-15 percent of couples in the United States this may not be possible. Every year over 1.2 million patients seek help in the arena of conception, often frustrated and confused.
Mice Sperm in a Dish
It’s not the mother load of discoveries in our field, but it’s pretty close. It tells us that the mother load is definitely out there…and within reach. Yup, the good news is that real. live, old-fashioned sperm were made in a dish… at least for mice.
A Dozen Funny Reasons For Vasectomy
As a vasectomist, I realize that a vasectomy, that iconic way to stop family building in its tracks, is not simply a 10-minute procedure. In a man’s life, it is a significant cultural event. I dare you to describe a more personal, scary and misunderstood part of a man’s body with which to meddle. And,...Continue reading
The Skinny on Obesity and Male Fertility
You have often heard me say that sperm production is an engine that really wants to run hard and fast. And, that by not taking great care of yourself, sperm quality and fertility can suffer. Given that 1 in 3 Americans have it, one of the biggest elephants in the room is obesity. Now, the literature is oozing with new...Continue reading
How Much Are Your Balls Worth?
At one point or other, most of us have said something like, “I’d give my left nut if I could….” That always seems like a pretty safe comment. After all, chances are pretty slim that we’d actually have to sacrifice a testicle for whatever it is we want. And even if we did, we’d still...Continue reading
Stressing about Low Sperm Count? That Might Just Be Causing the Problem
We all know that stress isn’t good for us. And if asked, we could probably do a pretty fair job of rattling off why: it increases your heart attack risk, can cause problems in at work and in your personal relationships, can lead to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Now we can add one more:...Continue reading
As Your Penis Goes, So Goes Your Heart
If you’re having trouble maintaining an erection, print this post out and make an appointment with your healthcare provider. Researcher in Australia found that men who self-reported severe erectile dysfunction had a 35% increase in the risk of hospitalization for all heart-related diseases, and a 93% increased risk of death—even if they had no history...Continue reading
Men Know More about What’s under the Hood (of the Car) Than What’s in Their Underwear
According to a recent study by Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor in Britain, 90 percent of men can locate important parts of a car engine—and if something’s not right with the car, the guys are confident they can get in there and figure out what’s up. But only half of men say know enough about their...Continue reading
When it Takes Three to Make a Baby
I’m a big fan of science and technology, but I’m not sure I’m completely on board with this recent development. Scientists in Oregon have just created human embryos using genetic material from three parents. Yep, three. The new technique was apparently developed as a way of helping babies avoid inheriting certain rare genetic conditions from...Continue reading