We’ve known about stem cells for half a century. They are cells that not only make copies of themselves but can also become other types of cells and tissues. This kind of biological feat is unique in science and has the potential to cure disease. So why haven’t we seen more scientific success and stem...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: A few years ago, you wrote a column about male infertility. I remember being surprised, since I’d always thought women were the only ones who had fertility problems. But now, after several years of being unable to conceive, I just found out that, just like the man who’d written to you back...Continue reading
Believe it or not, we know a lot about vaginal lubricants. Here are two statistics: 2 of 3 U.S. women use vaginal lubricants to help with dryness. And, among couples trying to conceive, 1 in 4 use lubricants. But aren’t lubricants bad for making babies? Toxic Lubes It’s quite clear that in the laboratory setting...Continue reading
There are certain questions in life that have never been answerable until now. For example, given that many human diseases are treatable, how long can we actually live? It took the jet age for us to figure out just how much g-force the human body can handle. And it’s only been a hundred years or...Continue reading
It’s well known that women athletes can stop having regular periods if they exercise too much. Termed “exercise-induced amenorrhea,” this prevents pregnancy during times of extreme physiological stress. Think of it as Darwin would: Why would you want to bear children as a cavewoman running for your life? Survival Comes First The mechanism for this...Continue reading
We’ve known for a while now that, pound for pound, as a group, infertile men aren’t as healthy as fertile men. It started with research showing that infertile men have higher rates of cancer after infertility than fertile men. Then, it became clear that infertile men harbor more disease than fertile men. The latest data suggests...Continue reading
You’ve probably experienced an ache or two at some point in your life. Toothache. Backache. Shoulder pain. Ankle sprain. Pain is part of the human predicament. Like pimples, aches and pains come and go. But what happens when suddenly something pops up down there?
The Case of the Month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic They sat down in front of me, both a little giddy about the idea of having another child. “I have boys and she has one too. We’d like to have one more, hopefully a girl,” he said. She nodded in agreement. They were...Continue reading
When you hear two different stories, which do you believe? Well that depends. Typically, we use 4 kinds of information to help us to decide what to think: intuition (gut feeling), source authority, logic and evidence. Now the story: Boxers are better than briefs for your fertility. Believe it? Intuition and logic suggest that the...Continue reading
Ever wonder about the future fertility of children born with birth defects? As a urologist, I’ve treated hundreds of boys with two common birth defects: undescended testicles and hypospadias. Throughout my career, it’s been hard to address the question of a boy’s future fertility with these conditions. Until now. Missing in Action Birth defects occur in 3% of U.S. newborns....Continue reading