India
As per experts, for the potency test, the accused is brought to police custody for conducting a medical examination which includes a general physical examination, and checking his semen and sperm count.
Updated : May 31, 2024, 07:50 PM IST
Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, arrested after he returned from Germany on Thursday night will undergo a potency test – mandatory physical examination conducted on all rape accused to confirm if the person is capable of sexual intercourse under normal
circumstances.
Revanna is facing charges of sexually abusing numerous women in Hassan. He left the country before the explicit videos surfaced publicly.
What is a potency test and how is it done?
As per experts, for the potency test, the accused is brought to police custody for conducting a medical examination which includes a general physical examination, and
checking his semen and sperm count. The potency test is a compulsory part of the medical examination of the accused.
“Two aspects are involved mainly in this. Erection and potential to cause pregnancy.Nocturnal tumescence test and pharmacologically induced penile erection, also known as
intracavernosal papaverine injection (is done) to establish if erection is physiologically possible or not especially when culprits feign impotence,” Dr. Dilip Gude, Senior Consultant Physician, Yashoda Hospitals said in an interview with Times Now. “Semen analysis also helps in finding out the DNA of the culprit. In other cases of pregnancy from such forceful acts, sperm count and morphology of sperms are tested to understand the paternity in pregnancy.”
On the need of such an elaborate test, Dr added, “Sexual potency tests are crucial for diagnosing and understanding erectile dysfunction and
related issues. They are indicated in various clinical scenarios, with different tests offering varying sensitivity and specificity. Contraindications must be carefully considered to avoid complications.”
The medical exam includes physical examinations, psychological assessments, and specific
diagnostic tests. A few of these are: Semen analysis, Penile Doppler ultrasound, Visual erection examination, Vascular Health Assessment.