NEW DELHI: Delhi government has issued an advisory to its hospitals stating that Per Vaginal (PV) examination, also referred to as 'two-finger test', for rape survivors can be conducted with their consent.The advisory, based on a 14-page document made by an expert panel, claims doctors cannot be made to function under the constraint of a complete ban of this examination. "(Banning) may not only prove detrimental to her health but may also result in injustice," it adds.A PV test involves insertion of finger into the rape survivor's private parts for assessment of internal injuries, use of force if any, noting any discharge and gathering of sample among others.Activists have been demanding a ban on it citing instances where the examination had been used to judge habituation of the woman to sexual intercourse.The Supreme Court in May 2013 had held that the test violates a survivor's right to privacy and had asked the government to provide better medical procedures to confirm sexual assault."It is an established fact that finger test is irrelevant to sexual violence trials and it does not serve any purpose except humiliating and violating the victim's right to privacy. PV test on a rape survivor is a second assault on an already traumatized victim. It must be banned," said Raaj Mangal Prasad , a child rights activist.The activist's views were echoed by forensic experts. "Doctors using two-finger test to diagnose the survivor's sexual experience and judging the victim moral character is disastrous for trial," said Dr Sudhir Gupta, professor and head, forensic medicine and toxicology department at AIIMS.When TOI spoke to the state health department, officials claimed the advisory was issued only to clarify the government's position. "The issue about banning the test came up recently in an RTI appeal filed by NGO Pratidhi before the Central Information Commission," said a senior official.The official said PV examination is done to evaluate the condition of external and internal genital organs to find signs of recent forced penetration. "In the advisory, it has been made clear that the decision to subject herself to examination is the survivor's. Also, we have suggested that the survivor must be counselled and made aware of the importance of thorough medical examination," the official added.NGOs, however, claim that the test is used recklessly in government institutions. "There have been instances where child rape survivors have been subjected to the test without anesthesia. One such survivor told me the insertion of finger during the test feels the same as in the case of rape," said Yogesh Kumar, programme coordinator, Association for Development.