As the son of a Czechoslovakian blacksmith, Dr. Paul Turek wanted to be a craftsman like his father but his interests were pushing him toward medicine. ”Surgery was an obvious one for me to keep the craft idea going,” says Dr. Paul Turek. He found that he had a knack for microsurgery which included urology and men’s health. “Women’s health was a lot more advanced, still is,” said Turek. “There wasn’t much science in the field 30 years ago.” As the second person to pursue a microsurgical fellowship after his residency training in urology at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Turek joined Dr. Larry Lipshultz in Houston to train specifically in male reproductive medicine. “He said, ‘Well I hope to get these guys some care.’ So that’s been the theme of my life: Why aren’t these guys getting some care?”
Dr. Turek has gone on to become a world-renowned male fertility expert, an endowed chair professor at UCSF and founder of The Turek Clinic and served as president of the American Society of Andrology and the Society of Male Reproduction and Urology. Along with having the highest rate of success for vasectomy reversals, Dr. Turek invented sperm mapping, an advanced alternative to microdissection procedures.
As the foremost leader in men’s reproductive health, we are honored to announce that Dr. Paul Turek has joined our board, advising Legacy on our medical roadmap and propelling our mission as a fatherhood company. We sat down with Dr. Turek to demystify the landscape of male fertility.
How would you define healthy male fertility?
Dr. Turek: With the exception of genetic conditions, reproductive health is simply a reflection of overall health. I would say men should always pay attention to their general health because that’s the best way to stay reproductively healthy.
It seems like men don’t really struggle with having children later in life, so is there really a male fertility issue?
Dr. Turek: If you look at the various genetic problems that occur in sperm as men age, the increase is linear at an annual rate of 1-3% from ages 25 to 50. Then the curve changes like a hockey stick blade and it goes up dramatically. From 60 to 80, you’re looking at real risks of serious potential issues in kids. Also, reduced sexual activity is a big driver of infertility in middle-aged men because if they have less sex and poor erections, that also compounds the problem.