Exercise and Male Fertility: Does Type of Exercise Matter?

The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are manifold, and it helps that Austin consistently ranks as one of the best for active lifestyles. These benefits may extend to fertility, as overall data shows that exercise can have positive effects on semen parameters. That being said, some exercises may provide more benefit than others. In identifying […]
Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 14 – 20th, 2021)

March 14 – 20th this year is Patient Safety Awareness Week. We believe that safe patient outcome is of utmost importance. For patients who are seeking infertility treatment, here is a short list of what to look for to ensure you are getting care that puts safety first: 1) Work with a fertility specialist with […]
Challenges Finding Male Fertility Specialists

Infertility affects up to 15% of all couples worldwide, and up to 50% of these couples will have a male factor contribution. Common causes of male infertility may result from hormonal or anatomical issues, such as varicoceles. These are important to identify because if corrected, they can improve semen parameters and pregnancy rates. Other procedures […]
AFRM team publishes study converting men maintaining fertility from clomid to Natesto.

As more men are waiting until later in life to father children, and more men are being diagnosed with low testosterone at a younger age, there is a fair amount of cross-over in these 2 groups of men. A longstanding challenge in reproductive medicine has been treating men with low testosterone in a fertility preserving […]
Marijuana: Good or Bad for Male Fertility?

As more and more states legalize marijuana, there has been a corresponding increase in its utilization. In fact, it’s been estimated that 16.5% of adults in the US regularly use marijuana. Understandably, this has led to increased interest in possible health benefits and risks, including its potential effects on male fertility. There is evidence that […]
E-cigarettes may have negative effects on Sperm Counts

Billed as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, the popularity of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, has increased in recent years. While e-cigarettes do contain fewer chemicals and may be beneficial in adults as a substitute for smoked tobacco products, they are far from safe. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, heavy metals, and other volatile organic compounds, all […]
The Texas Medical Association selects Dr. Luke Machen to participate in their annual leadership college

The Texas Medical Association (TMA) leadership college was established in 2010 in order to foster strong physician leadership in Texas. Each year, a small group of individuals are selected to participate based on their commitment to leadership development, and their desire to contribute both to medicine and their community. Dr. Luke Machen was recently selected […]
Does Coronavirus negatively affect the male reproductive tract? The evidence so far

Important questions for young couples attempting to conceive have arisen during the pandemic. One such question is, does this illness affect the male reproductive tract? While multiple studies have been performed attempting to address this question, the results have been mixed so far. Two studies found no evidence of coronavirus in semen an average of […]
Prednisone may help men struggling to conceive after vasectomy reversal

Every year in the US, approximately 500,000 men undergo a vasectomy, and 3-6% of these men ultimately elect to have the vasectomy reversed. Fortunately, success rates for vasectomy reversal when using an operative microscope can exceed 95%. However, despite a successful operation, a small number of men can have persistently low sperm counts as a […]
Study finds poor diets may negatively affect semen parameters

Studies have shown that semen quality has steadily declined since the middle of the 20th century, with one study estimating a 50-60% decrease in sperm counts since the early 1970s. The cause of this decline is unclear, but one potential culprit could be a worsening in diet and nutrition. One such study examining this topic […]