Like the Ampalling, the Apadravya is a piercing that passes through the glans penis; while the Ampallang passes horizontally through the glans, the Apadravya passes vertically through the glans from top to bottom, almost always placed centrally and passing through the urethra. Non-centered apadravyas are also possible, if the pirecing is purposefully offset. The piercing is normally done on a slight forward angle.

An Apadravya is essentially pierced in two sessions; the first creating a Prince Albert (PA) and the second (after healing) completing an apadravya. The upper half of the piercing is not the same as a Reverse Prince Albert piercing: while both pass through the same tissue, the angle is different. Straight barbells are the usual jewelry for apadravya piercings. The barbell must be long enough to accommodate erection, so the penis must be measured while erect before piercing, and an allowance must be made for ballooning of the urethra during ejaculation.

The Apadravya is one of the more intense male piercings, passing as it does through the most sensitive part of the penis; it is generally thought of as the most pleasurable for female sexual partners, and has been therefore nicknamed "happydravya."

Variations include the shaft apadravya which pierces the shaft; the magic cross which is a combined apadravya and ampalling; the ampallang piercing, which passes through the glans horizontally; and the apadydoe . If the penis has been subincised or meatotomized, the piercing is called a halfadravya.

The piercing is supposedly described in the Kama Sutra.