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.

At-home DNA testing is becoming more and more popular as companies have begun offering paternity test kits in pharmacies and on the internet. Do it yourself DNA tests have three major benefits: confidentiality, convenience, and cost.

Since you can purchase a home DNA test online and have it shipped to your door, there is no need to worry about friends or acquaintances seeing you walk into a DNA testing center to get a paternity test. You can draw the shades and swab your cheek in the privacy of your kitchen or dining room.

Most people work during DNA testing center office hours, so it can be difficult to schedule an appointment. A do it yourself DNA test allows you to collect samples for a paternity test whenever you have the time. It’s very convenient.

Generally speaking, do it yourself DNA tests cost less than legal testing, because there are no collection or notary fees. Cost savings is often an important factor to families trying to gain peace of mind.

Along with the benefits of at home DNA tests come questions about validity. The primary concern is that the samples provided by one of the participants is not their true sample. For example, a father wants a paternity test and the child lives with the mother. We send home testing kits to the father’s home as well as the mother’s home. The father must trust that the mother collects the child’s sample, and not the sample of a different individual.

The whole point of a paternity test is to gain certainty and peace of mind. In order to achieve that peace of mind the participants need to be confident in the samples that are collected. The only way to be 100% sure is to observe the collection, or pay a little bit extra to have a trained DNA technician collect the sample.

In today's world, everybody wants things to be easy. They want pizzas delivered, pre-made meals, and full-service everything. Individuals don't want to walk or drive far to do anything, and DNA paternity testing is no different.

Families in need used to drive 100 miles to a DNA collection center for an appointment. That doesn't work anymore. Competition has forced DNA labs to differentiate their service. Some have done that by lowering price, while others have improved service. This is all great for the customer.

Our office in Manhattan is conveniently located near Penn Station. It can be accessed from every borough in New York City by every train going though Manhattan. Clients come from all boroughs to be seen by our on-site physician. But now, we're seeing clients who want collection facilities in their own borough instead of taking a 30 minute train ride to Manhattan. The customer is always right, so we try to do what's best for her.

The point of this entry is to let you know that you should be able to find a DNA testing center within 15 miles of your home. You can call a trusted DNA testing company, and if they know what they're doing, they'll have a network of facilities ready to take your DNA sample. If the company doesn't have a collection site in your area there are other labs that do.

If you don't want to leave your house there are DNA labs who will send collectors right to your home. This is the ultimate  in confidentiality and convenience.

Earlier this week I did an in-home collection in a mother's living room. She was watching Maury Povich while I collected the DNA samples. Isn't that ironic.

There are lots of DNA labs out there, and each has their own DNA test report. Our lab is no different. The laboratory releases thousands of paternity test results each year, Results come in two pages. The first has the statistics, and the second has the explanation. Since the paternity testing procedure is extremely technical, the explanation of the results can be confusing. Hopefully this post will clarify how the results of a standard paternity test are presented.

If you take a look at the picture of the sample paternity test results, you'll see a bunch of statistics in the form of a spreadsheet. Click the link to view a clearer picture.

DNA Paternity Test Results

The first column reads "Genetic Marker". The column lists the 16 genetic markers that are compared in the paternity test. To learn more about genetic markers, check out my post, "What is a Genetic Marker".

The next column reads "Child", and has two columns below it; Allele A and Allele B. The child receives one Allele from his father and one from his mother. Please notice I said his. Take a look at the 14th genetic marker, "AMEL". This is the genetic marker for sex. You'll notice that the child has an "X" for allele A and a "Y" in allele B. This means the child is a male. All males have a "Y" allele for AMEL. If there were a blank space for allele B, then the child is a female. For any genetic marker where allele B is empty, the individual is considered homozygous. This means the individual received the same allele from both parents.

Each genetic marker from the Child is compared to that of the Alleged Father. Each comparison results in a number, called the Paternity Index. The paternity index is based on the probability of the two individuals sharing that genetic marker. The number is based on an intricate scientific logarithm derived from population sampling.

Now for the part you're probably interested in. Is the father actually the father? To get this answer, look at the bottom of the spreadsheet for the field labeled Probability of Paternity.

In this case, the probability of paternity is >99.999%. It is extremely likely that John is the father of John Jr. If John was not the father, the Probability of Paternity would read 0%

Also take a look at the field above Probability of Paternity labeled Combined Paternity Index. In this case, the combined paternity index is 1,240,000. This shows extremely strong support for the relationship. The higher the number, the better. Most courts accept anything higher than a 100 for the Combined Paternity Index. This number always increases by including the mother in the test.

The final issue is with the short paragraph at the bottom of the page. The first sentence says, "The results indicate that the alleged father can not be excluded as the biological father of the child."

In order for that sentence to say, "The alleged father is the biological father of the child" the laboratory would need to test every human being on earth. Since, the statistics are based on population sampling, the laboratory cannot get a 100% result.

DNA test results can be confusing, so speak with a case manager or DNA professional if you have questions.

Families going through the immigration process are forced to hurry up and wait. Hurry up and fill out your I-130. Wait for the Immigration Department to contact you. Hurry up and file your affidavit of support. Wait for Immigration to approve it. Wait for them to schedule a final interview. Then you go and they tell you to get a DNA test to prove you're related. You're expecting to play the hurry up and wait game again, but you don't have to. You can choose an AABB lab that will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.

Turnaround time for immigration DNA testing varies widely depending on the country. There are four major factors that will affect how quickly your DNA test is completed.

1. Payment and Petitioner Collection - The petitioner needs to make payment, and provide the necessary information to the lab in order for the test to begin. After that, the company will schedule a DNA collection for the petitioner. A quality laboratory will schedule an appointment within 2 days.

2. Shipping - The DNA testing lab will need to ship collection supplies overseas, so the beneficiary/ies can be collected. Choose a lab that ships using international priority, which is the fastest and safest way to ship. Make sure the lab ships the supplies the same day payment is made, so the process is not delayed. Some labs will wait for 5 or so cases to come in, so they can batch the supplies and save on shipping costs. Ask the lab if they do this. Shipping also includes the package being sent back to the DNA lab for testing, along with the results being sent to U.S. Immigration. All shipments should be made priority.

3. Foreign Collection - The U.S. Embassy will contact the beneficiary to schedule an appointment. This can take anywhere between 1 week and 6 months. Make sure you choose a lab that will follow up with the Embassy, and try to get the beneficiary an appointment as quickly as possible. A good lab will keep in constant contact with the petitioner, the beneficiary, and the Embassy to make sure the collection gets completed fast.

4. Tracking and Follow-Up - This is an extension of what I talked about above. You should be assigned a personal case manager who tracks your case from start to finish, ships priority, schedules appointments quickly, and reports results fast.

Don't settle for the "hurry up and wait" mentality that is the status quo in the immigration process. Ask questions to make sure the lab you choose is working for you, so your family will get their visa fast.

We test 16 genetic markers in a standard paternity test. If needed, our laboratory can test 8 more to generate more conclusive results. So what is a genetic marker, and why is it important? A genetic marker is a segment of DNA with a known physical location on a chomosome. DNA technicials can follow the inheritance of these genetic markers. A genetic marker can be a gene, or it can be a piece of DNA with no known function.

DNA sections that lie near each other on a chromosome tend to be inherited together. Therefore, markers can be used as a way of tracking the inheritance pattern of a gene that has not been identified, but location is known.

Genetic markers are used for different things, but the primary uses are for identity and genetic knowledge. Markers show us what makes us the same and what makes us different. Siblings share many alleles, which are located at genetic markers. So does a mother and her children. The 16 genetic markers used in our paternity test will determine conclusively if a man is the father of a child. The more markers tested, the more conclusive the results.

Markers can also be used to study inherited diseases. This is done by studying how genetic markers relate to specific diseases. Genetic testing for diseases is relatively new, and companies are making breakthroughs regularly. Expect more of this in coming years. Hopefully, it will lead to treatments and cures.