The involvement of both parents is important for the development of a child. If one of the parents is missing, kids often feel left out and neglected in the world. Unfortunately, the world we live in today can get selfish, and parents being adults often make mistakes, and paternity issues can break a happy house. One day you think you are living with your father happily and the next day the truth is revealed to you.
However, with scientific advancements, it has become quite easier to perform a paternity test in the comfort of your home without waiting for a legal authority letter from the courts to do so. You can easily buy a home dna test kit from an accredited laboratory and perform the test yourself. You do not have to ask any professional to recommend you the test, nor do you need any permission to do so.
Here are the benefits of doing a paternity test at home. But first, let’s discuss the DNA testing process.
What Is DNA Testing? What Are The Uses Of This Test?
As you must know, DNA is a unique genetic code that differentiates one living being from another. The genetic codes in the form of A, T, C, and G are inscribed all over the DNA. The translation of these codes determines our physical and behavioural attributes. These codes, although unique for every human being, can also help establish a link between two individuals as well.
DNA testing today can be done quite easily. All you need is a DNA sample that can be retrieved from a hair strand, dead cells from the cheek, blood, and other body fluids. If you do not want to go through painful blood sampling, then you can simply swipe a cotton swab in the interior of the mouth and secure it in a plastic bag. Drop off the sample at the concerned laboratories and you will get your results within a few days.
DNA tests are extensively used for various practical reasons, for instance,
- Ancestry: if someone wants to know their ancestral background, DNA tests can go back as far as 50 generations.
- Parenthood: if an adopted child wants to find out his biological parents, or if a child fears a disputed father, he might get confirmed answers through DNA testing.
- Medical Reasons: DNA testing analyzes the changes in DNA sequences that can help doctors identify any potential health risks to the person. This can help a person take proactive steps to avoid or decrease the severity of the disease.
DNA testing can help people get answers to the most intriguing questions they might have about their existence. It can answer the question of why you have blue eyes while none of your parents or grandparents had blue eyes. It can also predict diseases then you might have in the future if you are carrying the genes for them. This can help you prepare yourself for the disease and even avoid it in the first place.
How Is the Parental Test Done?
The parental tests can be done very easily. You will need to contact a laboratory that provides DNA testing services. You will need to provide a child’s DNA sample and a potential father’s sample. It can be either in the form of cheek cells on a cotton swab, hair strand, or any body fluid that can be retrieved easily. This sample is then given to the concerned authorities that run out some tests.
As many as 21 comprehensive genetic markers are used to check the accuracy of the match. These genetic markers are based on chromosomal DNA that a child receives from his father only, thus making the test much more accurate. When the matches are found, the test is said to have positive results, thus proving that the sample was obtained from the child’s biological father.
Now you must be wondering why performing the test at home is reliable or not. Well here are the multiple benefits of doing a paternity test at home.
1. Easy To Use Kit
Home testing kits are very easy to use. You do not have to follow any complex procedures. The sample can be withdrawn easily and without any pain. You can easily deposit the sole at the concerned laboratory and ask them about the results delivery date and method. You can choose the way of getting your results, which can be done either through mail or in person.
2. Hassle-Free Job
Previously, if someone wished to get a DNA profile through DNA testing, they needed to visit a doctor or a concerned physician to recommend the test. It was a complex procedure that caused great discomfort.
Today, with the option to perform the test at home, you do not require a prescription from the doctor. You can buy the kit and drop it off at the concerned laboratory and get the results instantly.
3. Accurate
Just like professional DNA tests, home DNA testing is considered accurate. Since there is a small chance that your samples will be mixed with anyone else, you can rely on the results to be accurate and authentic.
4. Privacy Is Intact
Lastly, with a home-based parental test, you do not have to fear an invasion of your privacy. If the parental test was asked by the court authorised, you might have to fear public humiliation. However, at-home tests can protect your privacy.
You can ask the laboratories to provide you with the results while keeping in mind your privacy.
Final Words
Parental testing can be crucial in making life decisions when it comes to the future of the children. Today, DNA testing can be done using a kit at home. This reduces the hassle of asking a professional doctor to recommend the test or waiting for court orders.
DNA testing can give accurate results that can be relied on. If someone wants to keep their privacy intact in this matter, they can ask the laboratory to provide them with the results in full privacy.
