Dr. Abraham Morgentaler

The female will sometimes do her push-up and say, hey, buddy, I'm over here. But their testosterone is gone. And then my project was we'd mapped out where in the brain, the itty-bitty brain of these itty-bitty lizards, where testosterone was taken up and what was likely to be the sexual centers. And my project that took three years to do was to put tiny implants of testosterone powder

The female will sometimes do her push-up and say, hey, buddy, I'm over here. But their testosterone is gone. And then my project was we'd mapped out where in the brain, the itty-bitty brain of these itty-bitty lizards, where testosterone was taken up and what was likely to be the sexual centers. And my project that took three years to do was to put tiny implants of testosterone powder

into those little sections of the brain. And when I was successful in doing it and putting it in the right place, these males that had no detectable testosterone, just testosterone in their brain, would see the female, the dewlap would come out, head would bob up and down, yeah, yeah, yeah, and they would mate. It was the most amazing thing. And so my first publication on testosterone is in 1978.

into those little sections of the brain. And when I was successful in doing it and putting it in the right place, these males that had no detectable testosterone, just testosterone in their brain, would see the female, the dewlap would come out, head would bob up and down, yeah, yeah, yeah, and they would mate. It was the most amazing thing. And so my first publication on testosterone is in 1978.

And that was the start. And then when I went to medical school, I learned almost nothing about testosterone. It was important for puberty. That was about it. It was important for men to sort of be functional. But we didn't learn about testosterone deficiency or anything like that. And then I go on to practice and I start dealing with men with sexual problems. And some of these guys were desperate.

And that was the start. And then when I went to medical school, I learned almost nothing about testosterone. It was important for puberty. That was about it. It was important for men to sort of be functional. But we didn't learn about testosterone deficiency or anything like that. And then I go on to practice and I start dealing with men with sexual problems. And some of these guys were desperate.

How did you choose urology? It wasn't obvious. I didn't know anything about urology, really. I was in general surgery. And I loved operating. And I thought surgeons had, if you'll forgive the expression, the biggest balls in the hospital. And I said, I want to do that. But I didn't like being up at night. And a lot of the emergency operations were at night.

How did you choose urology? It wasn't obvious. I didn't know anything about urology, really. I was in general surgery. And I loved operating. And I thought surgeons had, if you'll forgive the expression, the biggest balls in the hospital. And I said, I want to do that. But I didn't like being up at night. And a lot of the emergency operations were at night.

Appendectomies, gallbladders were dealt with, perforated ulcers. And so I looked for a field where they did good surgery. And they were nice and they had very few nighttime emergencies. And the urologist that I encountered had told the best jokes in the OR. And they were, some of them, superb surgeons. I said, I'll do that. But I really didn't know much about it.

Appendectomies, gallbladders were dealt with, perforated ulcers. And so I looked for a field where they did good surgery. And they were nice and they had very few nighttime emergencies. And the urologist that I encountered had told the best jokes in the OR. And they were, some of them, superb surgeons. I said, I'll do that. But I really didn't know much about it.

And then it turned out to be perfect because especially with my lizard experience and then human sexuality, that was a fit made in heaven. So these guys come to see me and they'd say, Doc, I'm desperate. This is 10 years before Viagra. This is 1988. And I said, don't you have something? My wife, my girlfriend, she's going to leave me. Like, I'm desperate. I'll try anything.

And then it turned out to be perfect because especially with my lizard experience and then human sexuality, that was a fit made in heaven. So these guys come to see me and they'd say, Doc, I'm desperate. This is 10 years before Viagra. This is 1988. And I said, don't you have something? My wife, my girlfriend, she's going to leave me. Like, I'm desperate. I'll try anything.

And I thought to myself, could testosterone work in men? Could men be like lizards? How far into practice were you? Just starting. Just starting. Just starting. I'd come out of residency. In six years of residency, two years general surgery, four years of urology, never once did we ever give testosterone.

And I thought to myself, could testosterone work in men? Could men be like lizards? How far into practice were you? Just starting. Just starting. Just starting. I'd come out of residency. In six years of residency, two years general surgery, four years of urology, never once did we ever give testosterone.

All we heard every week, like on weekly rounds, grand rounds, testosterone causes prostate cancer. You give testosterone, you have prostate cancer. And of course, we were treating, get this, we were treating men with advanced prostate cancer by removing men's testicles, not lizard testicles, men's testicles.

All we heard every week, like on weekly rounds, grand rounds, testosterone causes prostate cancer. You give testosterone, you have prostate cancer. And of course, we were treating, get this, we were treating men with advanced prostate cancer by removing men's testicles, not lizard testicles, men's testicles.

And this is part of why there's a misunderstanding, so much misunderstanding about testosterone and prostate cancer, which is... And I'll just tell you, some of this was obvious and impressive. There's a relationship, clearly. So back then, PSA was just beginning to be introduced. We didn't have a blood test to screen for prostate cancer. And so...

And this is part of why there's a misunderstanding, so much misunderstanding about testosterone and prostate cancer, which is... And I'll just tell you, some of this was obvious and impressive. There's a relationship, clearly. So back then, PSA was just beginning to be introduced. We didn't have a blood test to screen for prostate cancer. And so...

Almost everyone diagnosed with prostate cancer back then was diagnosed when it was already metastatic. And they'd come into the emergency room with terrible pain, pain in their bones. Prostate cancer goes to the bones preferentially. And sometimes we would operate on them to remove their testicles. And the same night after surgery, their pain was gone.

Almost everyone diagnosed with prostate cancer back then was diagnosed when it was already metastatic. And they'd come into the emergency room with terrible pain, pain in their bones. Prostate cancer goes to the bones preferentially. And sometimes we would operate on them to remove their testicles. And the same night after surgery, their pain was gone.