All you need to know about paternity testing

The number of paternity tests being carried out is going up; an increased awareness in the accuracy of this test and the ease with which it can be carried out has created an explosion in the demand for this DNA test. Perhaps, there is a tinge of paranoia and distrust in this day and age, but anyway, point is that paternity testing is the definitive and most reliable means of knowing who the father of a child is.

Reasons for a paternity test

• A man might discover many years later that he earlier in his life had fathered a child; he may in this case want to do a paternity test with this child to verify if the child in question is really his
• Men may suspect their girlfriends or wives of infidelity. They may question whether the child they have been told is theirs is actually their biological child.

• Children separated from their biological fathers- this can be for a number of reasons, perhaps adoption. Conclusively determining whether child and father are biological related will necessitate a paternity DNA test

How do I collect DNA samples?

You can collect DNA samples for your test by rubbing a mouth swab on the inside of the mouth; all one needs is a sample from the alleged father and child to conclusively show he is or is not the biological father.  By doing this, you collect cheek cells. Although these samples are referred to as saliva samples, it is not the saliva but the cheek cells collected onto the swabs that are used for testing.

If the tested man is the biological father, the DNA test result will show a 99.9% probability. If the tested man is not the biological father of the child, he will be excluded with 100%. It is very clear that Paternity testing is highly accurate and reliable.