There are a number of reasons why home DNA testing is the best option for gaining peace of mind when it comes to paternity. The testing is confidential, since it can be done in the privacy of your home. Secondly, home DNA testing is usually less expensive than other options, because there are no collection fees. Finally, a home DNA test is convenient, because you can complete the test whenever you have the time. Those factors aside, people who want peace of mind should always consider legal paternity testing options.

Legal DNA test doesn’t mean results are sent to court. It doesn’t mean child support requirements are automatically issued after results come out. The term “legal DNA test” means only that your DNA test results will be admissible in court IF you ever need them. Here are a few reasons why you may consider legal testing instead of a home DNA test.

1. Accuracy – Mistakes can be made when you collect samples yourself. The collection process itself isn’t super complicated, but an experienced collector will make sure samples are taken and stored properly. After all, accuracy is the most important feature of a paternity test.
2. Cost – Although the cost of a home DNA test is generally less than a legal test, the long term cost can be much higher. If you get a home test and then decide you want to use the results in court, you’ll have to start over with a legal test. The cost of a legal test alone is much less expensive than having to do two tests.
3. Service – It’s always nice to know the job is getting done right. With a legal DNA test there’s no confusion. An experience collector takes the samples and transports them to the lab for you. You don’t have to worry about anything except showing up for your appointment.

Those are a few factors that should go into your decision on which type of DNA test to choose. As always, make sure you choose an accredited and experienced laboratory to do your test, or you risk results that are not accurate.

For more information check out:

Home DNA Test

Legal DNA test

When paternity must be determined before a child is born, prenatal paternity testing is available. DNA testing while pregnant is more invasive than paternity testing after birth, so parents should weigh all options before deciding to move forward. Once you decide a prenatal paternity test is needed you have two options:

CVS - Chorionic Villus Sampling – Usually completed between weeks 8 and 14 of pregnancy, the CVS is an invasive procedure. During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into the cervix, and suction is used to collect a small sample of chorionic villi. Buccal swabs are collected from the inside of the cheeks of the mother and potential father. A comparison is made between the samples. CVS paternity testing is as accurate as testing done after birth.

Amniocentesis – Usually completed between weeks 14 and 20 of pregnancy, the amniocentesis is also invasive. A doctor uses a needle to transabdominally withdraw approximately 10ml of amniotic fluid. Again, cheek swabs are collected from mother and potential father and compared.

Not knowing paternity can be extremely difficult to families. After weighing the risks to the fetus many parents decide it’s important to know paternity before birth.

For more information about testing procedures visit prenatal paternity test page.

Today’s technology allows DNA testing labs to provide non-invasive DNA testing using buccal swabs. Buccal swab DNA tests have many benefits over blood samples. They are easy to transport, easy to store, painless to collect, and as accurate as any blood sample. The benefits are leading to decreasing prices to consumers because of more efficient shipping and testing methods. However, DNA collection using buccal swabs still raises concerns among many consumers.

Many people still feel that DNA testing using a blood sample is the only accurate way of testing for relationships. We receive calls from clients who have completed non-invasive buccal swab tests with us. They don’t believe the test results and want to do the testing again using blood samples.

Non-invasive DNA testing using buccal swabs is as accurate as DNA testing using blood samples.

There are a lot of mothers and potential fathers who want to complete a paternity test without the other parent knowing. If you are a parent who wants a confidential paternity test, then this post is for you.

Step 1

Collect the DNA samples. The most cost effective way to do this is with a buccal swab or    Q-tip. If you are the potential father, and the child is too young to know, then this is your best option. Use 4 Q-tips for yourself and 4 for the child. With a firm scraping motion, twirl the swab on the inside of the cheek. The purpose is to obtain skin cells from the inside of the cheek, not saliva. Scrape each swab for 20 seconds, making sure to cover the entire swab. Collect two swabs from each cheek. Place the swabs in a paper envelope. Label the envelope clearly with the name of the participant, whether the participant is the father or child, and what race the participant is.

*Note: Do not store swabs in plastic bags or other plastic materials. This promotes moisture and bacteria, which can damage the DNA.

If you are the mother and do not want to collect swabs from the father, or if swabs are not available, you can collect DNA using other methods. Look for something that is handled often by the person you want to test, and only by that person. Do not get a sample that is handled by more than one person, as this will cause a mixture. Again, put the samples in a paper envelope or bag, label the envelope clearly.

*Note: Good samples for private paternity tests can be a razor blade, toothbrush, cigarette butt, hat, or hair from the root. Cut hair will not contain DNA.

Step 2

Choose a laboratory to send the samples. You can choose the lab based on price, turnaround time, experience, accreditations, customer service, or a combination of those characteristics.

Different labs will have varying procedures for private paternity testing.

*Note: Private paternity testing is not allowed in New York State. You must get a legally admissible test if you live in New York.

Step 3

Ship the samples to the lab. Make sure to include contact information. Since you want the testing to be private, be careful what information you provide. You may want to speak with a customer service representative at the lab to discuss payment and results reporting.

Step 4

Wait for your results. Results are available anywhere between 1 business day and 8 weeks, depending on which company you hire to complete the paternity test. Keep in mind that the results you receive will NOT be court admissible since they were not collected by an unbiased third party.

Learn more about a private paternity test or legal paternity test.

A man sent us an email over the weekend because he wanted to know if he was the father of a child. He hasn’t taken a paternity test yet, but he knows the blood types of himself, the mother and the child. Based on those blood types he wants to know if he can still be the father. Surely this man is not the only person with this question, so I’ll answer the question publicly.

Blood type antigens are inherited from the father and the mother. Depending on the blood types of these individuals it is sometimes possible to exclude an alleged father. However, it is never possible to prove paternity. Blood typing, based on the ABO blood group system is not an accurate method for determining paternity.

Blood typing is useful for predicting potential paternity situations, but it is not useful for a legal determination of paternity.

This specific case is as follows:

Potential Father: O

Mother: B

Child: AB

Using the chart to the right, we can determine that the potential father is excluded from being the father. ABO blood typing can exclude roughly 30% of the male population from being the possible father.

An informed gentleman from New York called the office this morning. He is petitioning to bring his mother to the U.S. She lives outside Lagos, Nigeria and has an interview at the U.S. Embassy next week. He has heard from friends that the U.S. Embassy may request an immigration DNA test, so he had some questions about the process.

I let him know that the Embassy in Nigeria often requests DNA testing for immigration when the consular officers feel that the families have not provided enough proof of a biological relationship. He wanted to be proactive, but the Embassy says not to complete the testing unless they ask for it. I disagree with that guideline, but there hasn’t been much progress to change it.

If and when the Embassy requests DNA testing for him and his mom, he’ll need to call a DNA company who provides AABB accredited results. He’ll be responsible for all costs included in the procedure; DNA testing, shipping and handling, country fees. His mom will be required to pay a small fee to the Doctor at the U.S. Embassy who collects the sample, but all other fees are paid by the petitioner.

The gentleman was delighted to hear that one company could handle the testing for him in New York and his mom in Nigeria. I was happy that he was happy. I wished him good luck, and hopefully the consular officer will find enough evidence, so a DNA test is not needed. Only time will tell.

For more information about the immigration DNA testing process check out our article, Five Steps of an Immigration DNA Test.

FAQ: “Can you help me determine if my brother is really my brother?”

The commonly asked question is followed by a slew of questions from one of our customer service representatives.

1. Do you believe you are full brother’s or half brother’s?

2. Do you believe you share a mother or a father?

3. Are either of your mother's available and willing to be tested?

4. Are any other known family members available and willing to be tested?

DNA relationship testing can be used as an effective tool at proving biological relationships. However, the conclusiveness of test results depends on a number of factor, the most important being the participants’ DNA profiles.

Ex. Sally and Mary believe they are half sisters, and that they share a father. The father is deceased, so a paternity test is not an option. Their mothers are not available for testing because they too are deceased. We have only one option to prove these girls are siblings.

Half vs. Unrelated Siblingship Test – We analyze and compare the DNA profiles of both women. This can lead to a couple outcomes. First, if they both have “common” genes, the results will be inconclusive, showing a probability of relatedness around 50%. Second, if they have “rare” genes, the results will be more conclusive since it is unlikely that unrelated people would share those genes.

If Sally and Mary believed they shared a mother, then we could do Mitochondrial DNA Testing. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to children, both boys and girls. However, only girls continue to pass it on to their children.

If Sally and Mary were men, then we could do Y-Chromosome DNA Testing. Y-Chrome DNA is passed down from fathers to sons. It continues through the male line, and it is not passed to females.

In Sally and Mary’s case, more participants would help the process, ideally one or both of their mothers. If not their mothers, one of their father’s sisters or brothers would help. The probability of getting a conclusive DNA test result in a half vs. unrelated sibling test is low, but it depends on the individuals being tested. They may share very rare alleles, making it very likely that they are related.

A very nice gentleman (we’ll call him John) called our 800 line the other day and told me his story. His wife had just had a child, and he wanted a paternity test to gain peace of mind. He had done some research and found his options to be a home DNA test or a legal DNA test. He understood that the testing procedures are exactly the same, except for an extra set of eyes examining the test results. For the time being he had no intentions to use the test results in court. His primary needs were convenience and accuracy. He did mention that if the results came back negative he may move forward with a legally admissible test.

I use John’s story because it is similar to thousands of other men in the U.S. Their wife or significant other has a child, and the man wants peace of mind.

So, should John choose a home DNA test, or should he choose a legal test? First, let’s look at the advantages of the home test;

1. It’s Cheaper – Because there is no collection fees or notary signature, a home DNA test is usually less expensive than a legal test.
2. It’s More Private – Collection is done in the privacy of your own home.
3. It’s Convenient – You don’t need to leave your living room.

Now, let’s look at the disadvantages;

1. It’s Not Admissible – Home DNA test results are not court admissible for child support, custody, or birth certificates because there is no chain of custody. The samples need to be collected by an unbiased third party.
2. It Could Cost You More In The Long Run – If your home test comes back negative, and you decide to go to court, you’ll need to pay the full amount of the legal test. Your options are to spend a little more now, or risk spending a lot more later.

John’s decision should be based on his needs. If there is any chance he might want the results to be admissible in court, then he should get a legal test from the beginning. If John knows he just wants peace of mind, he should feel comfortable choosing a home DNA test.

Always remember to choose a trusted DNA testing company to complete your test.

Clients call us all the time with questions about what we can and cannot use for DNA testing. Well, we can DNA test almost anything. There are a few questions we ask when clients have DNA samples for testing:

1. How old is the sample?
2. Who do you believe handled the sample?
3. How is the sample being stored?

The answer to question 3 is almost always, “in a plastic bag”. It seems folks thinks the airtight quality of plastic bags makes them a safe bet for the storage of DNA samples. The truth is, almost all DNA samples should be stored in a paper bag and in a cool, dry place. Paper is breathable, so it prevents natural moisture buildup that can lead to bacteria growth. Bacteria is not good for DNA.

If you want to store a DNA sample, keep it in a paper bag or envelope. Store it in a cool dry place. Room temperature is usually fine and will keep the DNA viable for years. Keep in mind, if you intend to store the DNA sample for a very long period of time, colder is better. Here is a brief article about DNA storage.

If the DNA sample is yours, then it it alright to handle it. However, if the sample is from someone else you should make sure to wear gloves.

One other thing to mention is that these storage tips are for relationship testing needs. There are more stringent storage guidelines depending on your intentions for the DNA.

Feel free to visit our discreet DNA testing page for more information about non-standard DNA samples. Give us a call if you have questions about how to store or transport them.

One of our most frequently asked questions is, “How accurate is a DNA test?”. The answer is that it depends. The first requirement of an accurate paternity test is the collection process. There needs to be no cross contamination of samples, and the samples need to be labeled properly. This ensures that the lab processes the appropriate samples.

If the collection is performed properly then DNA test accuracy reaches close to 100%. We can tell you with 100% certainty if you are NOT the father. On the other hand, we can show with greater than 99.999% probability that you ARE the father.

The reason we cannot be 100% certain is that we do not have the DNA sample of every person in the world. Therefore, out of the 16 genetic markers we test, there is a slight chance that someone else could share those markers. However, using other evidence such as the time of conception the result becomes conclusive.

Courts typically accept results which are greater than 95% in child support cases. Keep in mind that identical twins have exactly the same DNA. Therefore, if one of the twins is included as the father in the paternity test, the other twin will be included as well.

DNA testing is the most accurate way to prove biological relationships. The technology is constantly improving, so you can expect the 99.999% to increase to 99.999999% in the near future.

The picture is compliments of Zazzle.