A new contraceptive gel for men could soon be taking the pressure off women when it comes to family planning — and local women’s groups are singing its praises.

A trial for Nestorone gel, co-directed by the Population Council and launched Wednesday, marked the first clinical trial set to test the safety and efficacy of a gel for men to prevent female pregnancy. Three trial sites in the United States will recruit couples to test the gel composed of progesterone, testosterone and nestorone.

The transparent gel is applied to the upper arm and shoulder area every day and is absorbed through the skin, eventually reaching the pituitary gland and blocking the production of sperm. The effects of the gel are reversible with discontinued use and have been shown to cause side effects of acne and weight gain in a small portion of men.

Dr. Regine Sitruk-Ware, a scientist with the Population Council and co-director of the trial, said men are ready to “take charge of contraception.”

“It’s a kind of change in thinking that it’s only in the business of women to take care of the family side and prevention of pregnancy,” said Sitruk-Ware. She added that male contraception has been a “neglected field.”

About 400 couples are expected to enroll in the trial and will use the gel as their only form of contraception for one year. The gel takes about eight to 16 weeks to effectively lower sperm count.

Sasha Goodfriend, president of Mass NOW, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Organization for Women said, “Funding for research for male contraceptive options is long overdue and this is a very important first step.”

Goodfriend said there is an “unfair burden” on women to be responsible for contraception, and a new option for men can create a space to share that responsibility.

Launching sites for the product, which has been developed for more than a decade, include Los Angeles, Seattle and Kansas City. Other sites including Italy, England, Chile, Kenya, Scotland and Sweden will launch in the future.

Jessye Kass, director of the Cambridge Women’s Center, said, “It’s high time for men to have responsibility to have their own contraception methods.”

Kass added that the gel may not catch on.

“It has the potential to make a cultural shift and it also has the potential to not work super well,” she said.

Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, said, “People of all genders deserve access to contraceptive methods that empower them to stay healthy, focus on their education and career goals, and plan their families.

“The more options available to more people, the better,” she said.

Sitruk-Ware hopes the trial will attract interest and expand the industry. She said she expects very high efficacy results from the trial.