For years, birth control has been assumed to be the woman’s responsibility. Taking a pill or even weathering an intrauterine device has been thought to be normal and expected, while men aren’t held to any similar responsibility. That may all change in the upcoming future, because a male contraceptive device may be just around the corner.

photo credit: HollywoodPimp via photopin cc

The equipment, commercially available ultrasound machines, were used to isolate a specific power that lowers the rats’ sperm count. Scientists found that by rotating the high-frequency ultrasound around the rats’ erhm… “male parts,” they can kill most of the sperm-generating cells.

Scientists have also noted that this might be a way to non-invasively sterilize pets and help control the animal population.

But like all new products, more tests are required before anything will be available to use for contraception in humans, as it is unknown how long the effects last and if multiple treatments would be safe.

Need to treat erectile dysfunction in Las Vegas? Call Dr. Michael Kaplan for help.

Have you ever felt less than thrilled about your wife or partner hanging out with your buddies without you? Research suggests that it might not be all in your head; a recent study found that men whose partners got too close to their friends were 92% more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

You know what they say, “two’s company, three’s a crowd.”

The phenomenon is called “partner betweenness” and refers to the scenario when your partner becomes closer to your friends than you are. The study found that even in young, healthy men, there was a much higher occurrence of erectile dysfunction in the group experiencing partner betweenness. While these findings do have some interesting implications, it is not yet clear whether the link is physical or completely phsychological. To learn more about causes of erectile dysfunction, or for general urology information, contact the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan at (702) 454-6226.

Men like big butts and they cannot lie – at least not when it comes to their brain scans. A recent study has scientifically confirmed what we’ve always known to be true; men are attracted to a certain waist to waist to hip ratio.

Strictly in the name of science…

While this may not seem like anything new, the study showed that seeing a curvacious female body shape actually triggers the same areas in the brain that are associated with alcohol or tobacco use. The study included 14 men around the age of 25, and showed them  before and after photos of women who had had cosmetic surgery to their behind. All of the photos only showed procedures that redistributed body fat (i.e. harvested fat from one area and relocated it to the rear) but did not change the overall body mass index. Time and time again, the post-procedure photos affected the same areas of the brain.

These findings are still new, but offer scientific explanations of things like infidelity, erectile dysfunction, and the consumption of pornography. If you are looking for more information on erectile dysfunction in Las Vegas, contact Dr. Michael S. Kaplan at (702) 454- 6226.

It was once thought that tomatoes were beneficial for preventing prostate cancer. The key nutrient in this theory is lycopene – the molecule that gives tomatoes their red color. Lycopene has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties, so it is logical to think that it would be a cancer fighting super food. However, the initial studies that suggested this link were never successfully duplicated. Modern tests use bio markers to precisely locate chemicals in the body, and after numerous tests, no link could be found. Thus, based on the information we have now, eating tomatoes does not prevent prostate cancer.

Myth or not, they are still tasty.

While no clear link could be found, that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your tomatoes; there a still plenty of health benefits to be had from tomatoes (like heart function and natural UV protection). In the meantime, it’s a good idea to get screened regularly to maintain a healthy prostate. For more information on prostate screening, or to find a urologist in Las Vegas, see the professionals at the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan.

Contrary to popular belief, women are not the only ones who go through menopause. Male menopause (or andropause as it’s sometimes referred to) is very real, but it is quite different from its female counterpart. Male menopause happens much more gradually than female menopause, and is not accompanied by sudden symptoms like hotflashes. However, it can cause a whole host of rather unpleasant symptoms like erectile dysfunction, hair loss, weight gain, and lethargy, to name a few.

Andropause can cause excess stress or irritability.

The symptoms are brought on by a decrease in male hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone. Fortunately, there are a number of treatments available including exercise, diet change, hormone therapy and other lifestyle changes. If you are interested in more information on male menopause or erectile dysfunction treatment in Las Vegas, contact the professionals at the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan today.

Nobody likes bad breath, but it turns out that not brushing your teeth can cost you more than your date – a recent study found that gum disease may actually be linked with erectile dysfunction. The study took place in Taiwan over the course of five years, and researchers found that men with erectile dysfunction had a higher incidence of severe gum disease.

Although it is not quite understood what exactly the relationship is between gum disease and erectile dysfunction, researchers say that even after accounting for things like income and quality of life, the presence of gum disease was still much higher in men who had erectile dysfunction. There were two specific age brackets that seemed to be most affected by this – men under 30 and men over 70.

I’m smiling because I’m happy to see you.

Researchers are still trying to piece together why this link exists. One theory is that gum disease causes inflammation, which in turn can damage blood vessels that would travel to the penis. In the meantime, gum disease is very easily prevented by simply brushing and flossing regularly, with the occasional checkup. If you are interested in more information about erectile dysfunction, speak with an ED doctor in Las Vegas like Dr. Michael S. Kaplan.

Yeah, that’s really the spider but relax, they’ve found a way to synthesize the toxin in a lab.

Scientists are looking into a new potential treatment for erectile dysfunction and the source may come as a shock: spider venom. Brazilian wandering spider venom to be exact.

Doctors noticed that virtually all male ER patients who had been bitten by the spider shared a very -stiff- side effect, and that got their spidey senses tingling. Now, the Brazilian wandering spider is the current Guinness World Record holder for being the most venomous spider known to man so don’t go messing with one of these bad boys on your own (not that you’d want to anyway…did you see the photo?), but recent studies have shown that one element of the venom displayed promising results in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

The component of the venom that researchers are most interested in is a toxin called Tx2-6. To understand how this toxin affects ED symptoms, we need a little crash course on how erections work. Erections happen when the male body releases nitric oxide, which triggers chemical reactions that relax the smooth muscles in the arteries of the penis, thus allowing increased blood flow. One of the chemical reactions triggers the release of a molecule called cGMP, which sends out signals to keep the smooth muscle relaxed – that’s how an erection is maintained. To get rid of an erection, the body also produces a chemical called PDE5, which breaks down the cGMP. In other words, PDE5 is necessary to regulate erections, but too much of it can prevent them from happening at all. This is where Tx2-6 draws a distinction from other ED drugs.

Traditional ED drugs on the market today work by inhibiting PDE5 receptors. While this does work most of the time, it can also cause side effects like priapism due to the lack of PDE5. In addition, not all men respond to PDE5 inhibitors, thus rendering the drug ineffective. Tx2-6, on the other hand, doesn’t do anything to inhibit PDE5. Instead, it triggers the release of nitric oxide, the very beginning of the whole process. This makes Tx2-6 a promising new tool in the treatment of ED, especially for men who have not had success with other drugs.

In studies with mice, a synthesized version of Tx2-6 has been successful on mice with diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as elderly mice. This is a promising find, but it will be some time before human trials can begin. In the meantime, it’s important to talk with your urologist if you think you might have symptoms of ED. If you are looking for a urologist in Las Vegas, contact the experienced professionals at the office of Dr. Michael S. Kaplan at (702) 454-6226.