The couple took their seats in front of me, cleared their throats, looked me in the eye, and said: “You’re our last hope.” Always game for a reproductive challenge, I leaned in and calmly stated: “How can I help?” Trying to conceive now for 4 years, they’d tried timed intercourse, intrauterine inseminations, and several cycles […]
Dr. Turek's Blog
Male Testosterone Imbalance: Manopause or Need-a-Pause?
He came to me looking worried. “I’m not that old, as fit as a fiddle, got lots of irons in the fire at work, happy to be married with kids all grown… but my sex life is in the toilet.” Indeed, he looked as stated: good muscle mass, no dad belly to speak of, graying […]
Dad’s Diet Affects Son’s Health – Through Sperm!
Can what a man eats affect the health of a future son that he dreams of having? The short (but fantastical) answer is yes. And the conduit for the effect is none other than the tiny sperm that he makes. Even more fascinating is how this actually happens, because it’s not through the canonical genetic […]
As Good As I Get (At Science Writing)
What happens when you pour all your heart and soul into something? When cooking, this could mean a fabulous meal that is scrumptious, succulent, savory, heavenly, luscious, mouthwatering, toothsome and divine. When creating art, it may skillfully tug at emotions, provoke a mood, offer a fresh perspective, teem with creativity, or be ripe with otherworldly […]
How Long Is Sex Supposed to Last?
Sex is a lot of things to a lot of us and it’s been that way since the beginning of time. In the film Annie Hall, sex was found to be “the most fun you can have without laughing.” Mae West pondered that “sex is an emotion in motion.” And Billy Crystal noted that “Humans […]
Who Can Benefit From Testicular Prosthesis Implants?
Name the only organ in the body that, when removed or missing, has been replaced with stone, glass, and rubber. Nope, it’s not the “glassy eye,” but that’s a good guess. A “heart of stone” is another thought, but it ends there. And “plastic emotions” really isn’t an organ, is it? And “morning wood” comes […]
How Patients Have Made Me A Better Surgeon
I am the kind of physician and surgeon who likes to constantly improve. Sure, I deeply respect those things tried-and-true that work great and that get the job done. But I also have a knack for pushing the boundaries of my skill, knowledge, and medical discipline. In my humble opinion, garnered from cherished mentors over […]
The Ins and Outs of Sperm Freezing
Given the burgeoning popularity of egg and sperm freezing, you might think that this is new technology that quickly hit its stride. Although true with eggs, sperm freezing techniques developed even before the United States was born. It all started with Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the Dutch father of microbiology, who invented the compound microscope in […]
What’s Our Best Choice: IVF or Vasectomy Reversal?
I can’t think of two ways of conceiving a child that could be more different. Now, I’m not referring to sex positions that might be more likely to produce a boy or girl. No, this is not a discussion of missionary vs. doggie, or cowgirl vs. kneeling lotus, or quarter moon vs. full moon at […]
How Soon Will We Get Pregnant After Vasectomy Reversal?
They sat down nervously in my office after we shook hands, primed with pen and notepad in hand like school kids before an exam. He was newly hitched, having just sorted out the four C’s of the diamond ring thing. The visit was to discuss vasectomy reversal. We dove right in. I took a thorough […]