Talk with Turek

Is testosterone therapy safe? For six decades, medicine said no. Dr. Abraham Morgentaler, Harvard Medical School faculty member and author of Testosterone for Life, explains why that fear holds up far less well than most people were taught.

Dr. Paul Turek and Rob Clyde sit down with Abe, a colleague of 30 years, to separate what is clinically true from what is trending. If social media has told you that your fatigue, your gym results, or your drive point to low testosterone, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:

Why medicine believed for 60 years that testosterone drives prostate cancer, and what the evidence actually shows:

• Why the testosterone story echoes the hormone therapy and breast cancer story for women
• What “T-maxing” gets wrong, and the saturation model that explains why more is not better
• The kind of fatigue that is different in men with low testosterone
• A Myth Busters round: “legal steroids,” fertility, aggression, and whether you can ever stop
• What the TRAVERSE trial found on cardiovascular risk
• The real difference between an online clinic and medical care
• Testosterone, quality of life, and the longevity conversation

If this sounds familiar, it should. Women went through something similar with estrogen, when one high-profile study reshaped how a generation thought about hormone therapy and breast cancer. Follow-up research complicated that picture considerably. Dr. Morgentaler’s view is that both hormones show how easily a confident narrative can outrun the science behind it, even among doctors who pride themselves on following the evidence.

Medicine rarely moves in a straight line. Beliefs harden, authorities repeat them, and it can take decades before anyone asks to see the evidence again. The testosterone conversation is a good reminder that curiosity and humility belong in the exam room as much as expertise does. The most useful posture, whether you are a clinician or a patient, is to stay open to being corrected, to ask what a claim actually rests on, and to treat your own health as an individual question that deserves an individual answer, not a trend or a headline.

Dr. Abraham Morgentaler

Book: Testosterone for Life

Podcast: The Sex Doctors, with Dr. Marianne Brandon

Book a consultation with The Turek Clinic Disclaimer

This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified clinician about your own health and any treatment decisions.

#Testosterone #TestosteroneTherapy #menshealth #TalkWithTurek #LowT #TRT

The richest man in America lives roughly six fewer years than the poorest woman. Four of every five suicides in the U.S. are men. And since 2000, fifteen bills across nine Congresses have tried to create a federal Office of Men's Health. Not one has ever received a committee vote.

On this episode of Talk With Turek, Dr. Paul Turek and co-host Rob Clyde sit down with U.S. Representative Troy Carter, primary sponsor of the State of Men's Health Act, to unpack why men's health has been left out of federal health policy for two decades, and why this bill has a genuine shot at changing that.

The conversation covers the clinical reality behind the statistics, from prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease to the mental health crisis among American men, and traces the legislative history back to the late Congressman Donald Payne Jr., who championed this cause before his own death from diabetes complications. Dr. Turek and Representative Carter also look at what the existing Office of Women's Health has accomplished since 1992, and what a men's health equivalent could mean for the next generation of American men.

One thread runs through the entire conversation: men's sexual and reproductive health does not exist in isolation. It is deeply connected to a man's overall health, from cardiovascular function to metabolic disease to mental wellbeing. A man managing type 2 diabetes is significantly more likely to experience erectile dysfunction, and a man who feels comfortable raising that concern with a doctor is often a man who is more likely to stay engaged with his health more broadly. Dr. Turek and Representative Carter discuss why a federal office focused on men's health has to treat sexual health as a legitimate entry point into the broader system, not a separate or secondary concern.

15 Bills, 9 Congresses, ~30 years, Not One Committee Vote: Can Men's Health Finally Win?

There is a common assumption that a healthcare system designed largely by men must already work in men's favor. Executive Producer and Turek Clinic CEO, Jennifer Harris sees it differently: “I understand why people might think that. But as a wife and a mother, my interest is a lot more personal than any assumption about the system. I want my husband, the father of my children, to have every possible year available to him. Without a consolidated Office of Men's Health, we are leaving real opportunities to keep men well on the table, and that gap does not check party affiliation, race or income before it shows up. This is not a men's issue or a women's issue. It is a family issue.”

Reach out to your own congressional representative and ask where they stand on the State of Men's Health Act, H.R. 7602.

Connect With Us

• Website: theturekclinic.com

• Book a consultation, in person or virtual: 888-887-3545

• Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and watch on YouTube at @TalkWithTurek

Production Credit

• Produced and recorded in South Pasadena, California, in association with Galaxy Media Ventures

• Executive producers: Jennifer Harris and Rob Clyde •

Associate producer: Max Flora

• Engineered and edited by Drew Unser

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult a qualified physician about your own health.

Most of what passes for longevity medicine today is marketing dressed up as science. On this episode, Dr. Paul Turek and Rob Clyde sit down with Jordan Shlain, MD, physician, founder of Private Medical, and author of the Substack “Don’t Listen to Me,” to separate the evidence from the hustle.

Jordan has spent his career building a healthcare model that treats prevention as the point, not the upsell. He opens the conversation with a claim most of the longevity industry has never made: that happiness itself, not a supplement stack or a peptide protocol, is the real driver of a longer life. From there, he and Dr. Turek take apart the post-COVID explosion of biohacking culture, the quiet danger of unregulated peptides and experimental molecules, and why sleep, circadian rhythm, and the microbiome do more for your lifespan than any protocol sold on Instagram. They also get into microplastics, the psychology behind why we chase shortcuts, and where sexual and reproductive health fits into the longevity conversation that most of the industry ignores.

As Dr. Turek puts it: the testicle is the most honest organ in the male body. It reveals metabolic health, environmental exposure, and aging before almost any other system does, and the longevity industry has missed that entirely.

Read Jordan's essay, “The Longevity Hustle,” on his Substack, “Don’t Listen to Me”: https://jordanshlain.substack.com/p/the-longevity-hustle

Subscribe to Jordan's Substack for more:

https://jordanshlain.substack.com

Connect With Us

• Website: theturekclinic.com

• Book a consultation, in person or virtual: 888-887-3545

• Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and watch on YouTube at @TalkWithTurek

Production Credit

• Produced and recorded in South Pasadena, California, in association with Galaxy Media Ventures

• Executive producers: Jennifer Harris and Rob Clyde

• Associate producer: Max Flora

• Engineered and edited by Drew Unser

Disclaimer This podcast is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult a qualified physician about your own health.

When Pfizer's cardiac drug failed its trial for chest pain in the late 1990s, something unexpected happened. The men in the trial refused to return their pills. That accident became Viagra. Twenty-seven years later, the science has finally caught up to what those patients already knew, and the implications now reach well beyond sexual health.

In Episode 17 of Talk with Turek, Dr. Paul Turek sits down with Peter Koshland, PharmD, CEO of Koshland Pharmacy and Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Pharmacy, to unpack what the newest research is showing about PDE5 inhibitors (the drug class that includes sildenafil and tadalafil), and why an erection problem in a man's forties now carries a cardiovascular mortality risk roughly 2.2 times baseline. That is the same elevated risk as a smoking history.

What this episode covers

• The myths these medications have carried since 1998, including priapism, addiction, fertility harm, and eye damage, with the clinical reasoning behind each answer

• What compounding pharmacy actually is, and why the FDA does not regulate compounded medications the way it regulates pharmaceutical-grade drugs

• Why telehealth ED prescribing, while convenient, often misses the most important clinical conversation a man over 40 should be having

• The triad of physician, pharmacist, and patient as the operating model for personalized care • How stress masquerades as organic erectile dysfunction, and the diagnostic dose-titration method Dr. Turek uses to tell the difference

• Why the same erectile tissue exists in the nose, why these drugs cause nasal congestion, and what that reveals about how they work

• The emerging science of female sexual dysfunction and how the conversation has shifted in the last 25 years

Who this episode is for:

• Men in their thirties asking the right questions early

• Partners trying to understand what a prescription actually means • Physicians thinking about how to counsel patients differently in light of the new data

• Anyone interested in longevity, preventive medicine, and the science of healthspan

Peter Koshland, PharmD

• CEO of Koshland Pharmacy

• Assistant Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, School of Pharmacy

• Chemistry degree from Georgetown University, PharmD from UCSF

• Koshland Pharmacy specializes in compounded, customized medications with pharmaceutical- grade sourcing and clinical oversight

• Website: koshlandpharm.com

Connect With Us

• Website: theturekclinic.com

• Blog: turekonmenshealth.com

• Book a consultation, in person or virtual: 888-887-3545

• Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and watch on YouTube at @TalkWithTurek

Production Credit

• Produced and recorded in South Pasadena, California, in association with Galaxy Media Ventures

• Executive producers: Jennifer Harris and Rob Clyde

• Episode produced by Max Flora

• Engineered and edited by Drew Unser

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult a qualified physician about your own health. #MensHealth #Viagra #longevity

Men account for nearly 80% of suicides in the United States, yet they remain the least likely to seek help, talk about their struggles, or ask for support. Today, we’re changing that conversation.

Dr. Paul Turek and co-host Rob Clyde sit down with Dennis Barbour, President, CEO, and Co-Founder of the Partnership for Male Youth, to break down the male mental health crisis: why it’s happening, who’s most affected, and what we can do about it.

In this episode:

• Why young men are uniquely at risk and what pressures they face that often go unrecognized
• How men express depression differently than women
• The power of meeting men where they are: coaches, fraternities, and mentors as first responders
• Why moms are often the closest person to a young man in crisis, and how they can help
• The devastating mental health toll of male infertility
• How stress and depression directly impact sexual health, erections, and physical symptoms
• Why men come to Dr. Turek with a physical complaint that turns out to be a mental health issue
• The stigma surrounding men’s mental health and how to dismantle it
• The fight for a federal Office of Men’s Health and the progress being made at the state level
• Why men’s health is not already a focal point and the political obstacles standing in the way

This is not a conversation about weakness. It is a conversation about what happens when an entire population is conditioned to go it alone. The assumption that men’s health is being addressed by default of is one of the most dangerous myths in medicine. Dennis Barbour and Dr. Turek make the case for why male-specific focus isn’t a political statement; it’s a public health necessity. Until we separate those two things, progress will remain uneven and underfunded.

Learn more about the Partnership for Male Youth: https://www.partnershipformaleyouth.org

If you or someone you know is struggling: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988

What does it look like when a man chooses a vasectomy with no kids and no plans for them, and then films the whole thing?

In Episode 15 of Talk With Turek, Dr. Paul Turek and Rob Clyde sit down with Emmy-nominated TV writer and comedian Jordan Temple, the man behind the documentary Father of None. Jordan didn't just get a preventative vasectomy. He documented it, challenged the cultural stigma around it, and sparked a conversation around the growing awareness of men's responsibilities in fertility.

Co-host Rob Clyde, who made his vasectomy decision after starting his family, brings a completely different perspective to the table. Two men. Two very different paths. One honest conversation.

In this episode:

1. Why Jordan chose a vasectomy as a single man with no children
2. What it was like to film the procedure and go public with the decision
3. How cultural expectations shape the way men think about vasectomies
4. What Rob's experience looked like coming from the other side of the decision
5. What every man should know before considering a vasectomy
6. The conversation around men's fertility is becoming more modern and open

Whether you are thinking about a vasectomy, already decided, or just want to hear from real men who have been through it, this episode is for you.

Hosted by Paul Turek, MD and Rob Clyde | Guest: Jordan Temple, comedian, Emmy-nominated writer, and director of Father of None ▶️ Watch Father of None on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqHU-4s8Apg Learn more about vasectomies at theturekclinic.com.

Many men will notice a lump or change “down there” at some point in their lives, and it can be difficult to talk about! In this episode of Talk With Turek, Dr. Paul Turek and co-host Rob Clyde take a clear, evidence-based look at lumps and bumps on the testicles, scrotum, and penis—and explain why guessing, waiting, or Googling is rarely the right move.

Dr. Turek explains how urologists evaluate scrotal and penile lumps, what features raise red flags for cancer or infection, and when a situation is truly urgent. They discuss benign conditions, symptoms, and the importance of self-examination for early detection of serious conditions like testicular and penile cancer.

You’ll hear:

• What’s normal vs concerning when it comes to lumps “down there”

• How testicular cancer typically presents and why early detection matters

• Common benign causes of scrotal lumps and when they need treatment

• Which symptoms require urgent medical attention

• How doctors actually figure out what’s going on

• How some conditions can affect fertility and sperm health

Lumps and bumps happen. This episode offers clear guidance to help men move from fear or denial to informed action—before a small issue becomes a big one.

Fertility care is not just clinical, it is deeply personal. In Episode 13 of Talk With Turek, Dr. Paul Turek and co-host Rob Clyde sit down with Lauren Berson, Founder and CEO of Conceive, to explore how fertility support is evolving and why the current ecosystem often fails both women and men.

Lauren has built a digital community designed to meet patients exactly where they are, providing personalized answers, emotional support, and clear next steps in minutes. One of the biggest challenges she is addressing is the fact that the modern fertility system was designed almost entirely around women. Historically, apps and devices track only the female partner, leaving men overlooked even though male factor contributes to 50 percent of infertility challenges.

In this conversation, Lauren shares why fertility journeys require both clinical guidance and emotional care and how technology and AI can help patients feel more informed, supported, and empowered. She also dives into the importance of including men early in the process, redesigning care so it works for both partners, and creating tools that help people navigate one of the most stressful experiences of their lives.

You’ll hear:

1. Why fertility care must evolve to support both men and women
2. How AI and personalized medicine can improve patient outcomes
3. Why male fertility is often ignored and how to change that
4. The importance of emotional care alongside clinical care
5. How Conceive delivers guidance in minutes through a digital community
6. Why having the right answers at the right time can transform the entire journey

Every fertility journey is unique. This episode offers a fresh, modern perspective on how technology, community, and personalized care can make the process more humane and more effective for everyone involved.

Stress is not just in your head. It is in your erections, your libido, your sleep, your longevity, and even your fertility.

In this episode of Talk with Turek, Dr. Paul Turek and co host Rob Clyde sit down with award winning neuroscientist and bestselling author Daniel Levitin, PhD (This Is Your Brain on Music, The Organized Mind, Successful Aging) to unpack how chronic stress reshapes the male brain and the male body.

Dr. Levitin explains what really happens in your brain when you are stressed, why that can shut down libido, erections and rational thinking, and how our modern “always on” lives with email, the internet, social media and AI keep men stuck in a constant fight or flight state.

YOU WILL LEARN:

• How the brain’s stress cascade turns off immunity, digestion and libido

•. Why long term stress wrecks sleep, erections and fertility, even if you do not feel stressed

• How much brain real estate is devoted to the penis, clitoris, lips and anus

•. Why men often miss their own stress signals, and how morning erections and “vacation erections” can act as biomarkers for health

•. Practical ways to lower stress: yoga, exercise, meditation, music, acupuncture, sex and building real relationships with doctors

•. How AI and tools like ChatGPT can both help and harm attention, focus and mental health

•. Why literature, art and learning an instrument are “neuroprotective” for the aging brain

•. The role of conscientiousness, self care and lifestyle in living longer and feeling better

Whether you are trying to conceive, dealing with erectile issues, low libido or simply feeling overloaded by work, family and tech, this conversation gives you science backed tools to understand your stress and start doing something about it.

ABOUT OUR GUEST – DR. DANIEL LEVITIN

Dr. Daniel Levitin is a neuroscientist, musician, and bestselling author whose work spans music, the brain, health, productivity, aging, and creativity. He’s written multiple New York Times and international bestsellers, including This Is Your Brain on Music, The Organized Mind, Successful Aging, A Field Guide to Lies, and more. He has taught at McGill University, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, and has advised companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

🔗 Learn more about Dr. Levitin:

Website: daniellevitin.com

Instagram: @daniellevitinofficial

Patreon: Daniel Levitin

👉 Watch to learn how stress shows up in your brain, your body and your bedroom, and what you can change today.

To schedule an appointment or find out more click https://www.theturekclinic.com/#conta...

About Talk with Turek

Talk with Turek is a men’s reproductive health podcast from The Turek Clinic, hosted by world renowned reproductive urologist Paul Turek, MD and co host Rob Clyde. We explore male fertility, sexual health, hormones and the science of building a family in a modern world.

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