Understanding DNA Testing: Paternity, Maternity, and Beyond!
Before paternity testing was invented in 1988 the only way to identify parental DNA was through a blood test. Ever since 1988 parental testing has only gotten better. DNA testing is used to determine a child’s biological relationship to a potential family member. The most common types of DNA test are DNA test for paternity, DNA test for maternity, and DNA test for ancestry. A paternity test is used to determine a child’s relationship to a potential/ alleged father. A maternity test is used to determine a child’s relationship to a potential/alleged mother. An avuncular test is to determine a child’s relationship to a potential/alleged aunt or uncle. You can also determine relationships by using an alleged sibling or grandparent. These are all different types of DNA relationship tests. Testing can even be conducted on the child during pregnancy or postpartum due to many medical advancements.
There are many reasons why someone would have a DNA test conducted. People often get a paternity test to gain legal rights to a child, to implement or end child support, to obtain custody of their child, and or inheritance. Some medical reasons to have a relationship test conducted would be to identify genetic disorders like down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and even certain cancers. A relationship test could also be the bridge that allows children and adults to feel more connected to their ancestral history. Aside from maternity and paternity, DNA tests can also be used to identify a pet’s genetic makeup, a family’s lineage, infidelity, crime scene analysis, tissue matching for transplants, and even semen detection. A paternity test can be performed by a skilled collector or phlebotomist as early as 8 weeks prenatal or postmortem (after death).
The prenatal DNA test is typically done utilizing a non-invasive technique where blood is collected from the mother. This type of test is called Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity , NIPP. Other tests work by collecting blood or tissue samples from the biological mother, potential father or family member and the child. DNA testing can also be done by collecting other types of samples, such as fingernails, hair strands, blood stains, ear wax, and mucus. Crazy right? The lab then looks for genetic markers to determine if there is shared DNA. When finding out if there is a DNA match, the results will show 99.9% genetic match or 0% genetic match.
DNA tests can be upward of 500 dollars causing it to be inaccessible to most. This is a service that is generally not covered by insurance so most to all testers pay out of pocket. Although the upfront cost is expensive, a DNA test might be the answer you need to finalize your child custody case, win your inheritance or life insurance dispute, or even plan for the future of your family. Could a DNA test provide the answers to the questions you secretly have about your familial history?
Works Cited
Professional, Cleveland Clinic Medical. “DNA Paternity Test.” Cleveland Clinic, 11 Feb. 2025, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/10119-dna-paternity-test.