In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, conversations about male hormonal birth control have never been more vital.
As it is, the options for men wanting to prevent pregnancy are scant ― use a condom, depend on the very undependable pull-out method, or get a vasectomy. (After the Roe news, there was a flurry of articles about men rushing into urologist’s offices to get a vasectomy. But doctors caution not to get the snip if you’re considering “undoing it” later: While vasectomies can technically be reversed, it’s expensive and doctors say your chances for a successful reversal decrease every year after you’ve 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.
Scientists have been trying to develop a male version of the pill for decades, with many starts and stops along the way. Most recently, researchers at the University of Minnesota created a birth control pill for male mice, which was shown to be 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
Still, what works for mice doesn’t necessarily work for men. Urologist Amin Herati told The New York Times he would be “very skeptical” about any developments on this method until human data is presented, since there are big differences in how human and mice genes interact and their reproductive systems.
Scientists are also testing a new contraceptive gel for men, which decreases a man’s sperm production.
While it 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 they’d 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 “women’s issue.”
See what eight guys of various ages and experiences had to say below.

Peter Skinner, a 47-year-old network and information specialist in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
What have you and your partner(s) mostly relied on?
In the past, my wife and I have used the pill and I’d wear condoms. When we wanted to try for a baby, we stopped. But I would try male birth control.
What if it was approved, but it had some unpleasant side effects?
All medications have side effects. Any man on this planet who complains about a headache because of his birth control methods needs to reexamine whether the sex is worth it. Is this the woman you want to be tied to for the rest of your lives? If she gets pregnant, it takes two parents to raise a child. Will you be there for every Christmas concert, soccer game, volunteer at schools, and be a taxi service when they need rides? If not, take a simple pill and use a condom as backup. I did that until I had my three children and was mentally ready for kids and could financially afford them.
What are your thoughts on the idea that it’s a woman’s job to prevent pregnancy?
It’s not just a woman’s job. It’s both people’s responsibility to take precautions. All my past partners had to do was say “wrap it up” and I did. When it came time to stop having children, I went for the vasectomy instead of her going to have her tubes tied. The surgery and recovery was nothing. I was back to working the next day. She wouldn’t have been able to.
It’s not rocket science. No one can question we want the sex much of the time. If we want it, we have to respect what our partners want to do with their bodies and lives.
Man up, guys. Take control of your futures while having your fun. I have three male children below 26 and they know how important this issue is to me. I’ve lost a child and had to make the difficult decision whether to abort a baby with less than a 10% chance of living and may have caused horrible issues for my wife. It’s the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, and a simple pill could have prevented it.
Jonathan, a tech worker in Northern Alberta, Canada
How do you feel about your contraceptive choices currently?
I feel like there are a lot of choices, but they all have some sort of drawback. My partner and I have used condoms and female birth control, either the patch or the pill. Currently condoms plus the pill.
In all honesty, how likely would you be to use hormonal birth control?
I have a terrible memory, I forget my pills all the time. So if it was a pill, I wouldn’t even bother. This short clip sums up how I feel, about if men had to take birth control pills: