Dr. Turek's Blog

Happy Anniversary to Testis GPS

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

It’s been 13 years. Certainly a significant amount of time for any recent tech start up, but also impressive for a medical procedure. It’s the 13th anniversary of the invention of fine needle aspiration mapping of the testis for sperm. Nine hundred cases and going strong and many families created along the way. It all […]

A Short History of the Y Chromosome

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Among the many chromosomes in a man’s body, the smallest one with the largest personality has to be the Y chromosome. With it, you are a male; without it, you are a female, with few exceptions. More than any other chromosome, it really defines who you are. This tiny chromosome also controls other traits as […]

Are We Replacing Ourselves?

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

When a couple decides to have children, they rarely, if ever, contemplate the effect this has on the nation. But population scientists do. The effect that birth rates have on society is critical—as basic as knowing whether a nation is sustaining their population or not. But, trying to figure out if birth rates are going […]

Autumn in California

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Autumn is approaching, and San Francisco is sweltering in an Indian summer.  In the city where I live and practice my profession, September is our most California-like month. The air goes still and briny as the breeze wanes, and drapes itself heavily on the roofs and hills. The clouds dance with delight in a painterly way. Our Junes […]

The Agents of Erection

The Agents of Erection – Common ED Treatment

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Subtle, efficient, and powerful, Viagra® is a first-line agent of erection, along with its accomplices, Cialis® and Levitra®. True, there are other agents out there, such as penile implants and injections, but these three, the triumvirate of pills, started it all and are the go-to agents because they work so well for so many people. […]

Baby Making Tips

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

You might have “practiced” the art of baby making for quite a while. But have you actually tried to make a real baby? What does it mean when a couple says they’re “trying”, besides jettisoning the condoms, scheduling free time, and practicing your “sore throat” voice for calling in sick to work. No one teaches […]

Erectile Dysfunction: The Anatomy of an Erection

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

There is a bit of mystery that surrounds the average erection. The key to an erection lies within the male brain, through visual, auditory, or imagined stimuli, or through manual stimulation. Upon stimulation, the arteries within the penis relax, and blood flows into the penis at more than 20 times the normal rate.  The spongy […]

The Ailing Male Pill

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

A male birth control pill certainly sounds like a good idea. But after 25 years and millions of dollars of research, there’s still no pill. We put a man on the moon faster than we’ve invented a male pill. The question isn’t really whether it can be done, because it can. The production of sperm […]

Pullout Method of Contraception

Pulling Out Is In

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

Hold on now. Wait a minute. Don’t get too excited. If you thought “pulling out” was a feeble and ineffective method of contraception for the reckless and unprepared, well it is. At least at first glance. But given that at least 38 million couples use it worldwide, coitus interruptus warrants a second look. With its ancient yet undistinguished […]

Sexual Pop quiz

Sexual Health Pop Quiz #2

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD

You may call me a stern and demanding taskmaster, but because the last one was so much fun, it’s time for another pop quiz on men’s sexual health. This one is based on real-life, case-based questions. 1)A man takes Viagra® in anticipation of a romantic encounter with his partner, hoping it will help him be […]