He stared back at me, his face blank. He didn’t like my answer. We had examined the known genetic causes of azoospermia and had come up dry. “I really don’t know why you’re azoospermic, but I’d say it’s still very likely to be genetic, but currently undefined.” Not much to work with, but it’s where we are at...Continue reading
Tag: infertility
Imagine a World Without Male Infertility
Forgive me for dreaming, but it’s the New Year and a great time to think about what the future holds, if only for a moment. Maybe you have a vision for what you’d like to see happen, whether political, financial, personal or global. Here is a deeply felt professional vision that constantly inspires me.Continue reading
‘Robotic’ Sperm to Fight Infertility
Up until recently, health and medicine was basically a hit or miss affair. We would discover interventions such as drugs that had benefits, but also many side effects. With recent research information from Dresden, Germany sperm can now be trapped in nanotubes (grown in a lab with a cylindrical structure that exhibits heat and electrical properties, which are...Continue reading
Infertility as a Disease – Men’s Health 101
Name a disease that’s about half as common as diabetes, affects both sexes and is running rampant in developed countries? Obesity? Good try. How about infertility? Ah, but is infertility really a “disease” you ask? You thought it was something that happens to a minority of otherwise healthy people, right? Well guess again.
A Piece of My Mind
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.
Sperm Stories,Part III
In Part I and Part II of Sperm Stories, we talked about some of the factors that can affect sperm quality and quantity. In Part III, we’ll go beyond testing sperm and talk about some interesting stories—good and bad—that have to do with using sperm in the manner nature intended: to create babies.Continue reading
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
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