A new male birth control gel has been found to work in monkeys, paving the way for future scientific studies and perhaps for eventual market release of the first birth control product for men. Women have lots of options for birth control, but a contraceptive for men has proved elusive, but this new animal study suggests that we may have finally solved the problem.

The report, which was published in the journal Basic and Clinic Andrology, involved a contraceptive called Vasalgel, whichwas used on male monkeys. The researchers found that the contraceptive effectively prevented pregnancy during the mating seasons for the monkeys by blocking sperm from escaping. Even better, it lasts a long time and it is totally reversible.

It was a small study, and because it was performed on monkeys and not humans there will be a lot of work that needs to be done to prove that it will actually works. But it’s a major step forward to a male contraceptive.

“The demand for new male contraceptive methods is growing,” reads the statement from the Parsemus Foundation. “Surveys indicate that the majority of men would be interested in using a new contraceptive, and about 20% of couples already rely on existing male methods for reproductive control. While research has uncovered a variety of new targets for male contraception, no new product has made it to market yet. Many men say they would prefer a non-hormonal option because of the potential side effects and safety risks of hormones. However, studies of hormonal approaches continue to receive the most funding as evidenced by the recent publication of serious side effects in a large study of a hormonal method.”