Dr. Turek's Blog

The Orchid in the Arctic

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Imagine taking a tiny skin biopsy from the arm of a man who, even while you are taking it (which can’t be pleasant) offers you a warm, reassuring smile. For this man, getting poked and prodded is nothing—he is happy enough just to be alive and breathing. A second chance at life after surviving cancer […]

The Solitary Life

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

  He called me from rural northern California and the phone conversation went something like this: “Er… hello. I…I was wondering if you could help me.” “Sure, sir, how can I help you?” “Well…I’m single and haven’t dated in 20 years, but would really like to.” “I’m not so sure that I am the one […]

Weed Worries and Testis Cancer Studies

Weed Worries

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

A good rule to follow in medicine when evaluating whether research should be translated into clinical care is “reproducibility.” Good research, that is research that is likely to end up as “true fact” in the long run, is reproducible…not just by the original researchers, but also (and more importantly) by others in the field. In […]

Let’s Go Fishing

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

What’s 4000 years old and still alive and kicking? Traditional Chinese medicine. It’s a form of complimentary or alternative medicine that should be better integrated into our modern medicine healthcare toolbox in the future to keep America’s reproductive age men healthy. Why do I say this? Because I like to face facts. Currently, alternative medicine […]

Know Your Wooly Mammoths

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Whenever I mention to the media that “stress” is bad for male fertility and men’s health in general, they show images of snarling, bumper-to-bumper traffic with heat shimmering off of the asphalt. Sure, that works for stress. But that is not the half of it. Being stuck in traffic is a form of acute stress, […]

The Age of Aquarius

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

It really seems like the moon is in seventh house, and that Jupiter is aligned with Mars. Why? Because our government gets it and want to know how it can help. Last week, I spoke at a stakeholder meeting about men’s reproductive health, held at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. You may […]

Where There’s Smoke

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Smoking is bad for men’s fertility. Not unexpected, you might add, since 1000 smokers die each day around the world from smoking related diseases. But what else is new? A lot. And this matters because 25 million men in America smoke. Along with 21 million women. Any other condition this common would certainly be considered […]

The Man in the Mirror

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

What is the most commonly asked question in my male fertility practice: “What can I do to improve my sperm count?” My answer: “Treat your body like a temple; all things in moderation.” I’m sure that this is a disappointing answer for many men, but it’s true. There are no tricks here. Here’s why: Unlike […]

Listen and Learn

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

This week, I refused to perform a vasectomy on a patient of mine. That is, until he saw a doctor about his sky-high blood pressure. Thirty years old and a father of three, he is a productive, hardworking member of society who just happened to never have seen a doctor as an adult. Unusual? Not […]

A Sword with Two Edges

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

  You may know what testosterone can do for your strength, but did you also know that it is a contraceptive? That’s right, taking any synthetic testosterone will reliably make you infertile. I’ve discussed the reason for this in other posts, but I’ll explain it again. Essentially, the brain drives the testicle to make sperm […]