DNA Paternity Testing Myths

12 Aug 2017

Here are some of the most common myths which are commonly associated with paternity tests. It is best to set things straight and clarify these common misconceptions.

DNA Testing is costly

There is no need to spend a fortune on a paternity test. In many euro zone you can get the test for around 250€ and in the US you can purchase a home paternity test for less than 200$. So it is not so much about cost, but about the quality of your test. Since with DNA testing there is nothing tangible about quality, you need to look out for accreditation.  Make sure the labs doing the test are accredited. You can find many companies offering accredited tests for the above figures cited.

A little note on the cost of a paternity test: the cost of a peace of mind paternity test is much less than the price of a paternity test for legal purposes. For a legal test you will have to follow a different DNA sampling procedures and added procedures which will push up the cost.

The paternity test is bound to be painful

Gone are the days when a blood withdrawal was needed for to get a blood DNA sample for a home paternity test. An even then, an injection to take blood is not in itself painful- it is really mostly in the head (unless you are overweight and multiple punctures are required to find your vein). Nowadays, taking a sample for a paternity test can be done with a simple buccal mouth swab; rub the swab inside the mouth and voila you have you DNA sample.

The alleged father has passed away or is not available for the test

In this case, it does not mean that paternity cannot be established. There are so many options that can be taken. If the father is dead, you can get DNA samples from the body- this depends on whether he has been buried or not. Whichever the case, buried or not, DNA samples can still be taken. If this is not an option, perhaps testing relatives can be done, an aunt or an uncle or grandparents. Even better, you can do a sibling DNA test to determine whether 2 siblings have a father in common.

There is just so much to say about paternity testing myths and misconceptions; the list goes on and on. A simple call to a DNA testing company and you can have all your thoughts settled easily and can go ahead with your DNA paternity test.