Talking Sex With Total Strangers

Dr. Jon LaPook On The Making Of This Week's Doc Dot Com

(CBS)  Ever since I became a physician I've cherished the trust that people have placed in me. Back in 1982, during my residency training, I went to Australia to do a clinical rotation. I knew nobody in the entire southern hemisphere, but I was able to put on a white coat, walk into a patient's room at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and listen to the most intimate details of a life story.

Fade out, fade in, and I'm in New York's Central Park a few days ago, identifying myself as the medical correspondent for the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and asking total strangers to talk about male sexual dysfunction for this week's segment of CBS Doc Dot Com. I'll admit there was some hesitancy and even mild blushing (and that was just from me), but people were generally quite candid and talkative.

Whether that was because of the MD or the television correspondent title or a combination of the two, I was grateful-as always-for the trust. And the questions helped tee up what I hope you'll find to be an informative discussion with urologist Dr. Harry Fisch.