Paternity Testing: A Blessing or a Curse

The jury is still out on whether the now easily available paternity tests are a blessing, a blessing in disguise or a curse.

            The School of thought which holds that paternity testing is a blessing will argue that the easy availability of DNA-based paternity tests has had a liberating effect on both men and women. For the men, a simple DNA-based paternity test offers opportunity of knowing – for sure – whether the child they are setting up to bring up is indeed theirs’ or whether they are having games played on them – a piece of knowledge which many of our men forefathers would have given anything for. Through such a DNA test, paternity, like maternity, becomes a certainty – beating the age old adage where maternity was said to be almost always a matter of certainty, with paternity always being seen as matter of presumption. For women too, paternity testing offers the opportunity of nailing men who go around fathering children and the abdicating their paternal responsibilities. Now while before the advent of DNA-based paternity testing the courts could dismiss the woman’s case (where she happened to suing for child support) on account of lack of enough evidence, the modern woman armed with a DNA test result showing the man in question to be the child’s father has a far better chance of success in her case.   

On the other hand, the school of thought which holds the view that paternity testing is a curse argues that such testing has destabilized the classical approach to parenthood; an approach which many feel was serving us just as well. In this classical approach to parenthood, having children was appreciated for its social value, rather than physical value. In this regard then, people had children to keep their ‘names’ – rather than their genes – alive. Of course our innate longing – according to way we have been programmed by the creator, was to move our genes to the next generation through our children, but since there was no way of knowing that whoever you were bringing up was indeed your gene-bearer (especially for the men), a person had to content themselves with having some to take their ‘name’ to the next generation. All that has changed with the advent of paternity testing – and all one has to do today is to take a simple DNA test, and they are well on their way to knowing if the person they call their ‘son’ or their ‘daughter’ is indeed their gene-bearer or simply a ‘name-bearer.’ Now the implications of knowing a person you have all along being treating as your offspring is nothing of the sort can be devastating to say the least, even if the person in question happens to be just a young child – as DNA tests are typically carried out on young children in dispute. So devastating, in fact, are the effects of the realization that the person you have been treating as your child is nothing of the sort that people have been known to do things they would never have thought of doing before – either to themselves or to the child in question – upon realizing that the child they have always thought was their was not. Of course the proponents of DNA based paternity testing will counter this argument with the fact that the all a DNA test does is to reveal the truth, and it is better to live with a bitter truth, than with a ‘sweet’ lie.

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?

Paternity Testing 101: a Simple Guide for a Complex Procedure

In movies and soap operas, paternity tests are often carried out in the direst of circumstances.  In reality, paternity tests are quietly carried out in many homes around the world, confirming or denying what families have suspected.  Whether the paternity testing has destroyed a family, or brought it closer together, it will certainly bring the truth to light.

A paternity test is a simple, non-invasive procedure that can be used to determine who the biological parents are.  There are many reasons why you might need to carry out paternity testing.  Peace of mind is the most often cited reason for seeking out DNA tests to determine the father of a child.  If the mother of the child has been intimate with more than one man, or is suspected of infidelity, the only way to determine who fathered the child is through DNA testing.

Paternity tests: where to start

Once you have made the decision to have paternity testing done, you need to determine the company you feel most supportive working with.  If you need paternity tests done, you can start with some simple searches online.  Equip yourself with knowledge about the procedure, the methods to test and the possible legal ramifications.  If you feel to you can talk to your GP about the tests and what will be required.

Taking the tests: what do you need

Once you have carefully considered the possibilities, it’s time to take action.  If you will be needing the test results in legal proceedings, you will need to go to a certified lab.  While lab tests can cost anywhere from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand, these results are considered to be official and can be used in court.  If you are unsure that the results will bring a need for legal action, you can consider ordering an at home test online.  Thanks to developments in the world of medicine and science, paternity testing is very easy.  All accredited labs should provide 99.99% accurate tests online that can be taken at home or for legal use.  A few clicks of a mouse and your home paternity testing kit will be on its way via express mail.

The aftermath: getting support

Whatever method of testing you chose, the chances are you will have to wait 5-10 days (in many cases more).  This can be a trying time for even the most trusting of people.  While you might have initially only been acting on a hunch, the next few days can be difficult as you try to figure out what will happen if the tests come back negative. Our advice is to try not to let your mind carry you away.

It’s during this time that people often start seeking legal advice.  What recourse will you have if it turns out that in fact little John or Sarah is not your child.  What will this mean for you happy little family?  The answers are not clear-cut, and every situation is different.  It can’t hurt to schedule an appointment with a lawyer to discuss your options.  While you are scheduling appointments, a trained counselor might also be a good idea.  Gain some insight into what caused the situation, and how you are feeling about it, before you need to break the news to often, completely unsuspecting family members.

By getting a paternity test, you are taking your future into your own hands.  Erase all doubt about the paternity of a child within a few short weeks.  The peace of mind that follows this difficult decision is fact.  But do remember to make sure that the DNA Test is in the best interest of the child.

Want to Live an Extra 10 Years?