How to Carry out a Paternity Test
Paternity testing is the most
accurate and reliable way of knowing whether you are the real dad of a child or
not. Accurate statistics are hard to come by with such a sensitive topic but
some claim around one in twenty-five fathers is not the actual biological
father of their children.
So where do I get a paternity test done?
The trend nowadays is to do
everything online. There are many leading and reputable DNA testing companies
that operate entirely over the internet. Making your choice shouldn’t be too
difficult; the prices vary little from one company to the other. What you need
to look out for is the accreditation awarded to the laboratory carrying out the
DNA tests. This is really important as it means that the laboratory maintain
high standards with their DNA analysis. The most important accreditations to
look out for are AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) and ISO 17025.
What happens once I place my order?
First and foremost, before you
even place your order, all paternity testing
companies should have a customer support service at your disposal. You can
get in touch and discuss all your queries with somebody prior to ordering the
test. Once you order the DNA test, a home DNA sample collection kit will be
sent to your chosen address. You will use the kit to collect the samples.
What does the home kit contain?
The home kit contains the
2 oral swabs for every person taking part in the
A set of instructions (these explain in a few
basic steps how to collect your samples)
Consent form (these forms authorize the analysis
of the samples, you need to fill them in carefully)
A pre-addressed (but not pre-paid) envelope with
which to return your samples
Collecting DNA using the oral
swabs provided is indeed simple and painless – hence, why this is the method of
sample collection that is most strongly encouraged by DNA testing laboratories.
Oral swabs need to be rubbed under the tongue and around the inner cheek for
around ten seconds and then left to air dry. Once they are dry, you just place
them back into the envelopes you got them out from and return them for
laboratory testing. The precautions to follow are also extremely basic – no
eating, drinking or smoking for one hour before you collect the samples. Of
course, perhaps stating the obvious, keep swabs from different people separate
and make sure they do not come into contact with each other as this could
cross-contaminate DNA samples.
What about the paternity test results?
As soon as the laboratory have
received your DNA samples they will contact you with your result due date.
Depending on the company, the waiting time will vary but should not take more
than a couple of working days. Generally results are sent by email with the
option of a hard copy.
The result itself will show the
regions examined on the DNA of the alleged father and child. These regions are
known as genetic markers or loci (see below). Each locus will be represented by
two numbers known as alleles (one number represents an allele inherited from
the mother and the other from the father). The same loci will be analyzed for
the child and the father. If the tested father is the biological father, then
one allele on the profile of the father and child must be represented by an
Besides the table displaying the
genetic markers, the result will express a probability. This is the easiest
part to understand.
If the alleged father is the
biological father of the child, the result will show a probability of paternity
in excess of 99.9%. If the alleged father is not the biological father of the
child, the result will show a probability of 0%.