It’s flu season. And you’re trying to conceive or maybe you’re pregnant. Should you get a flu shot? For those of you who never get the flu, here is the modern definition: A terrible sickness where you feel like you shouldn’t be able to walk, but somehow you can. For about a week, everything is...Continue reading
Upon reading Nellie Bowles great piece “The Dawning of Sperm Awareness” in the New York Times about the conundrum of our dropping sperm counts, I asked myself: “Am I coming across as a disruptor by not being particularly worried that we are headed toward extinction?” I thought it a good opportunity to unpack the beef behind this belief. Sperm...Continue reading
There I was, lecturing at the leading Japanese male fertility society at their annual meeting in Kobe, Japan and it hit me: Japan has a serious infertility problem. And they really need Sperm Mapping. Children of Men Here’s the drone view. Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the developed world (1.46, 2.1 is self...Continue reading
You’re pretty familiar how movies deal with many of life’s biggest moments, right? Love, sex, marriage, kids, losing your job, becoming a princess or prince, winning in sports, battles, success and failure. But how do they handle infertility? I was asked this question by Insider magazine and really had to think about it. Taboo Topic The first thing that...Continue reading
Ever hear of the Buddhist parable of blind men describing an elephant? The man facing the elephant describes it as thick like a snake. The man who grabs its large floppy ear suggests that the creature is fan-shaped. The man who holds its leg insists that elephants are tree trunks and the one on its...Continue reading
They were young. They were in love. They came in holding hands. And they were concerned. “I’ve been timing things for well over a year and absolutely nothing has happened,” she said leading the conversation. “My cycles are like clockwork and we haven’t missed a month,” she continued. “I’m wondering whether it’s my man here.”...Continue reading
How do you handle risk? Some believe it’s part of the game of life, found everywhere in different doses. Unavoidable but often knowable. Others fear its existence, preferring the familiar and secure. As Oscar Wilde said: “It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating.” Where do you stand on risk? Take...Continue reading
Raise your hand if you looked under rocks as a kid. What’dya remember finding? Moist dark soil and interesting little critters skedaddling away is what I recall. Earth’s underbelly, teeming with life. Infertility Awareness The theme of this year’s National Infertility Awareness Week is “Flip the Script.” Be a voice, break the silence, advocate, pledge and help build awareness...Continue reading
“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” Dr. Seuss I’ve been asked to report to the fertility community about where we are with man-made sperm. Although we’re not where we’d like to be, it is certainly not for lack of trying. Around...Continue reading
As I was being interviewed for a recent Tonic/VICE article—by author Grant Stoddard—about testicular implants an interesting point was raised: Does the ole’ “bigger is better” notion that we typically associate with homes, jewels and penises also apply to testicles? Looking Pretty Down South Lets start with a little perspective here. We humans do pretty well with testicle size,...Continue reading