Imagine Louis Armstrong bellowing: “Birds do it, bees do it, goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it…” Males and females, everywhere on earth, falling for each other. Now there’s evidence that, even chromosomally, they need each other. Sex Dogma Realize that scientific thought surrounding sex chromosomes has been a tad sexist to date: Two...Continue reading
Tag: reproduction
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...
What Ever Happened to IUI?
Can’t conceive? Try IVF. Sure, it recently earned a Nobel Prize but isn’t that like going from 0 to 100 mph just like that? Isn’t there something simpler to do first before IVF? Turkey Basting Well, maybe there is. There are 3 levels of conception technology: No-Tech (sex), Low-Tech (IUI) and High-Tech (IVF). Intrauterine insemination...Continue reading
East Meets West in Medicine
There I go again, a Western guy giving a lecture to an Eastern crowd. What team do I play on, you ask? In fact, I am honored to give a keynote at the First Integrative Fertility Symposium in Vancouver. Ok, call me a “swingman,” but the Easterners have a lot up their medical sleeves too....Continue reading
40 Years of Male Infertility: Progress Beyond Belief
The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. Distinguished appearing, he had a concerned look as he sat down across from me. “Years ago, I tried to bank sperm in college, but I was told that there was none,” he said. The story went on. With more than one partner, he...Continue reading
Don’t Get Older If You Can Help It
It’s called “mutational load.” Doesn’t sound all that pleasant does it? And, it’s ascribed mainly to men. Now, in addition to mid-life crises and retirement, it’s something new to think about as you age. Boning up for my keynote speech on “The Reproductive Genetics of the Aging Male” for the American Society of Andrology this weekend,...Continue reading
Sperm Archaeology
“I heard that that you can get sperm from a rock,” said the patient. Eyebrows raised, I responded: “Actually, I’ve never tried.” But his statement did get me thinking: I am a sperm archaeologist of sorts. Sands of Time Growing up, who hasn’t thought about being archeologist at some point? Sifting through sand in exotic...Continue reading
March Madness Means Tying Tubes
The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic Traditionally, March Madness referred to the breeding season of the somewhat shy European rabbit. More recently in the U.S., it is a month of lots of college basketball playoffs, in which men are either glued to TVs or frantically attending games. In...Continue reading
Stay Loose to Keep Hard
Have you ever lost your wood when you wanted it most? Be honest. NEVER? Well then, you obviously haven’t lived through the slings and arrows of infertility. You’ve heard me say before that stress kills your love life. My favorite analogy is the caveman being chased by a woolly mammoth. Who wants to have sex when...Continue reading
Factors For a Good Prognosis In Patients Undergoing Vasectomy Reversal
So what are the factors we can influence in order to get the best results for patients undergoing a vasectomy reversal? There are actually two different surgeries for vasectomy reversal: vasovasostomy (vas to vas) and epididymovasostomy (vas to the epididymis). The surgical approach any patient needs can only be determined at the time of surgery. Selecting...Continue reading