Scientists have been trying to develop a male version of the pill for decades , with a number of frustrating starts and stops along the way.

This week, scientists at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Boston announced that we may be one step closer to male birth control becoming a reality: Judging by early clinical trials, a hormonal gel thats rubbed on the shoulders daily may be even more effective than hormonal contraceptive options for women.

The gel, developed by the National Institutes of Health and the nonprofit Population Council, combines two main ingredients , nestorone and testosterone, the male sex hormone.

The nestorone suppresses the production of testosterone in the testes and, consequently, the development of sperm. By reintroducing synthetic testosterone, any negative effect on the sex drive is minimized.

In a clinical trial , 86% of men achieved sperm counts low enough to prevent pregnancy after 15 weeks of using the gel. For other men, the drug worked at even brisker pace, suppressing sperm production within four to eight weeks.

Weve been just really excited by the results, said Diana Blithe, branch chief of the NIHs National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, at the conference. The combination seems to provide better, faster suppression than we expected.

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and numerous states passing legislation designed to undermine or completely block access to abortion care, the drugs development couldnt come at a more vital time.

As it stands, the options for men wanting to prevent pregnancy are scant: use a condom, depend on the very unreliable pull-out method, or get a vasectomy .

After the Roe news in June 2022, there was a flurry of articles about men rushing into urologists offices to get a vasectomy. But doctors caution not to get the snip if youre considering undoing it later: While vasectomies can technically be reversed, its not cheap and your chances for a successful reversal decrease every year after youve had the procedure.

The good news is that the demand for the male pill exists. One 2016 multinational study found that over 50% of men would be willing to try a male contraceptive method.

While it still may be a while until a male birth control method is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and put on the market, the desire for it seems to be growing. HuffPost recently asked men how likely they were to use hormonal contraceptives if they were to become available to them.

Some men told us they were eager to share the burden of contraception with the women in their lives. Some single men said they just want a say in their reproductive futures. We also asked them if theyd take it if it had some unpleasant side effects like the headaches, weight gain, nausea and lowered sex drive some women experience with the pill and how they feel about contraceptives being framed as a womens issue.

See what eight guys of various ages and experiences had to say below.