You’re (Not) the Father! How Reliable Are DNA Test Results?
Alec Jeffreys, a genetics professor at the University of Leicester, discovered that patterns in some parts of an individual’s DNA could be used to differentiate one person from another.
In 1986, he used the first DNA test results to solve a murder. Gregor Mendel inspired him, an Austrian monk deemed the “Father of Genetics.”
Mendel crossbred different types of pea plants to create new varieties with the same traits as earlier generations.
Today, anyone can order a home DNA test kit. Whether you’re ordering hair drug tests online or looking for a DNA paternity test kit, there are many options for DNA testing.
How accurate are DNA tests, though? If you took a DNA test and you want to know how accurate it is, keep reading!
Can DNA Tests Be Wrong?
Ordering tests online, in general, can be daunting, especially if you’re looking for an accurate answer that could significantly impact your life.
Ordering urine drug tests online or ordering other specialty tests online isn’t much different than going to a doctor’s office. Online DNA tests boast the capabilities of testing at 99.9% accuracy. Typically, inaccuracy only occurs as a result of fraud or another human mistake.
What Kind of Paternity Fraud Happens?
Sometimes a mother or father will submit someone else’s DNA to influence the results of a test. In the past, men have submitted a friend’s DNA so as not to get a positive match, and women have submitted a different child’s DNA to warrant a positive or negative match with the father in question.
Sometimes either party might tamper with the mailing envelopes, too, to get a negative result.
Would the Testing Lab Catch Fraud?
Sometimes a testing lab can determine that fraud has been committed, depending on how obvious it is.
For example, if a male’s DNA sample gets submitted instead of a female’s, the site will suspend that particular testing case and request new samples.
The main difference between home-testing kits and getting tested by a doctor is that home-testing kits allow for tampering or manipulation. That means that home-testing kits aren’t court-admissible. Court-admissible tests require a witness, too.
Do False Positives Happen?
If it comes down to two fathers and close relatives who share the same biology, they also share DNA. What that means is that it’s possible to generate a false positive.
The man who isn’t the father could match the child because of his biological connection to the other man.
When two alleged fathers are close biological relatives, they share a relatively large percentage of the same DNA.
If Submitted Properly, DNA Test Results Are Almost 100% Accurate
DNA test results are almost 100% accurate when there’s no fraud, and the test is performed and submitted according to instruction.
If you’re looking to get a DNA paternity test kit, don’t worry about the results being inaccurate. Worry about ensuring that nothing gets tampered with and that the correct individual’s DNA is submitted.
Are you ready to order a test and get quick results? You can order a test here or contact us with any questions or concerns!
