I’ve been called a “disruptor” before, but I’ve never considered myself a “visionary.” To my surprise, I was recently called just that, and by colleagues about whom I might use the same term. Quite flattering, really. Meeting of Minds We met just outside of Washington, at the invitation of the NIH and CDC, to discuss what’s...Continue reading
Tag: infertility
FNA Mapping: A Tool for the Trade
Do you have a favorite tool? Maybe a great cooking pot or utensil that really works for you. Possibly a shiny, worn and weathered but perfectly performing baseball glove, or a dinged and pockmarked surfboard that handles virtually every swell. Whether you’re a carpenter and fan of curly maple, or a car hobbyist who likes...Continue reading
Behind Every Egg is A Sperm
It’s a tenet of American culture that if you try hard, you’ll succeed. Hard work pays off. The early bird gets the worm. No goal met without sweat. But, try telling this to sperm. It’s always been thought that the best looking, fastest moving sperm wins the egg. It’s why Woody Allen in Hannah and...Continue reading
Artificial Sperm Reinvented
Do you really know that the world isn’t flat? C’mon, tell the truth. In fact, debate raged on whether the earth is flat or spherical from the 8th century BC well into the second millennium (1520) AD, well over 2000 years! Magellan and scientific proof ended up nailing the truth. In the mystical words of...Continue reading
Can you be allergic to your sperm?
They sat in front of me, notes in hand, having read all they could, and looking somewhat concerned. “We read that vasectomy reversals don’t work because of antibodies that men make to their sperm. Is this true?” Don the Immunology Hat Practically speaking, the world’s first immunologist was the formidable warlord King Mithridates VI of...Continue reading
Helping Wounded Veterans Live and Love
His kidney harbored a cancer and it needed to be removed. As a first year surgeon-in-training, I was consenting him for surgery at the Veterans Hospital in Philadelphia. Unlike most patients, he was unusually calm as I talked him through the procedure and its potentially life threatening complications. At one point, he gently put his...Continue reading
Diabetes And Male Infertility: What Are The Concerns?
By Matthew A. Pierce, MD and Edmund Y. Ko, MD Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic with significant impacts on multiple aspects of men’s health. 3.5 in every 1000 reproductive aged men (18-45 years old) in the United States are living with diabetes (1). While it is true that many Americans are aware of diabetes’ impact...
High-pesticide Produce Causes 49 Percent Lower Sperm Count
Certain fruits and vegetables are known to contain pesticide residue. Farmers spray their crops with pesticide to keep pests from harming their agriculture. When pesticides are applied to crops, it can leave residue on the food which is then sold in grocery stores. While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amount of pesticide that...Continue reading
Sperm and Testosterone: A Love-Hate Relationship
He stood there looking at me, as deflated as an old circus balloon. “Doc, I heard that testosterone is important for my fertility, so that’s why I started taking it. I had no idea my sperm count would drop!” It’s Complicated Sure, testosterone is good for you. It’s critical for good overall health and for...Continue reading
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