What Paternity Testing CAN Tell You

If you’re considering DNA paternity testing, what information do you expect to get? Today’s technology is so advanced that you’re sure to get an accurate and conclusive answer to your paternity question. But some people also think they’ll get specific details and characteristics about test participants. Is this true? What info do you get? Here are some quick answers.

Paternity testing tells you whether or not the man tested is considered the biological father of the child tested
Answering this question through DNA is why people do this test in the first place, and it’s by far the most reliable and cost-effective method to determine a biological relationship. Once the DNA profiles for participants are established, results are calculated using tried-and-true statistics. Test results will usually give a probability of paternity of 99.9% or higher when a man is considered the biological father of the child tested, and 0% if DNA data shows the man is NOT considered to be the biological father.

The sex of paternity testing participants
One of the DNA markers checked by the lab during paternity testing is the “Amelogenin,” or sex gene. On a report, this shows as XX for female, and XY for male. This is a useful process for a variety of reasons. For example, if the child is supposed to be male and this check shows that the child’s sample is from a female, the lab can contact the customer and ask for clarification to ensure correct samples were submitted. Sometimes customers accidentally mislabel samples, and this process can catch this mistake.

Who the father is while you’re still pregnant
It used to be that you could only determine paternity once the baby was born, but that’s no longer true. The technology for non-invasive prenatal paternity test is so advanced now that you can reliably do paternity testing while pregnant (once the mother is 8 weeks or further along) without any risk to either mother or unborn child.

Final Thought about Paternity Testing
Analyzing DNA is still the most accurate and reliable method for paternity testing, which is why it’s trusted to settle family disputes every day by courts across America and around the world. But it’s important to remember that these tests are designed for one specific purpose and one purpose only: to establish the probability of a biological relationship. If you have other familial questions that could be answered by DNA, other types of tests are a better choice.