IMPOTENCY AND

STERILITY

What is impotency?
Physical incapacity of either sex to allo
w or grant to the other legitimate sexu
al gratification

Legal Importance of Impoten

cy
1. Impotency, if proven, will overthrow the pres
umption of legitimacy (Article 255 Civil Code)

*presumption of legitimacy
a. Born after 180 days after the celebration of
marriage
b. Before 300 days following the dissolution or
separation of the spouses

Physical Impossibility may be caused:

1. Impotence of the husband
2. Husband and wife were living separately
, in such a way that access was not possi
ble
3. Serious illness of the husband

Legal Importance of Impot

ency
2. Ground for the annulment of marriage
(Article 85 Civil Code)
Requisites:
a. One of the parties not aware of the
existing impotency of the other party
b. Present at the time of the celebration of
marriage
c. Incurable
d. Absolute

Legal Importance of Impot

ency
3. Impotency may be a defense in rape
4. Impotency may be a cause to the
development of abnormal sexual
behavior
5. Impotency may be a cause to the
development of suicide tendecy

Causes of Impoten
cy
A. General of Functional, Not Connected Directly
with the Sexual Organs
1. Age
female no limit, except when below 16
male as long as there is erection, he is potent

2. Illness
diseases attended by general debility, brain, spinal cord,
mumps

3. Emotion
4. Hormonal dysfunction

Causes of Impoten
cy
A. Local or Organic, in Direct Connection with the
Sexual Organs
1. Congenital Defects
a. In Males:
- nondevelopment of the penis
- maldevelopment of the penis
- penis adherent to the scrotum
- duplex organ
b. In Females:
- absence of vagina
- vagina ill-developed, e.g., may be too small
- vagina occluded by intrauterine disease

Causes of Impoten
cy
A. Local or Organic, in Direct Connection with the Sexual
Organs
2. Disease or Accident
a. In Males:
(1) Penis
- acute diseases of the penis, as gonorrhea
- chronic diseases as epithelioma
- complete amputation of the penis
(2) Testis
- removal of the testis
- sexual abuse
b. In Females:
- vaginal ulceration
- diseases of the vulvae
- obstruction of the vaginal canal due to tumor, cyst or fibroid

What is sterilit
y?
Loss of power of procreation
and is absolutely dependent of
whether or not impotence is
present

Causes of Sterility
A. General of Functional, Unconnected
Directly with the Sexual Organs
1. Before puberty there is no spermatozoa
in the seminal fluid

Causes of Sterility
B. Local Causes of Sterility:
1. Congenital Conditions:
a. In Male:
- absence or nondevelopment of testicle
- absence or nondevelopment of penis
- maldevelopemnt of the testicle
- misplacement of the testicle
- malformation of the penis
b. In Female:
- absence or maldevelopment of the ovary
- absence or maldevelopment of the uterus
- absence of the vagina

Causes of Sterility
B. Local Causes of Sterility:
2. Acquired Conditions:
a. In Male:
- complete amputation of the penis
- excision of the testicle
- diseases of the testicle
- atrophy of the testicle
b. In Female:
- excision of the ovaries
- diseases of the ovary
- occlusion of the vagina from diseases
- diseases of the vagina
- occlusion of the Fallopian Tubes