I have been writing this blog since early September, and I hope that everyone is finding it useful.  Everyday, I try to think of a new topic.  Today I wanted to ask for help from my readers.  What do you want to read about?

Is there something I haven’t addressed in my past blogs that you would like to read about?  When you think of DNA Testing what questions plague you?  Is there something you are reading about in the news you would like more information on from an expert?  Is there  I consult with my fellow client support representatives on a regular basis about what customers are asking about.  I have addressed these concerns and now want to hear from those utilizing this blog.

Help me decide the direction of this DNA Testing blog will take to best assist you.  So, you can either post your ideas to the comments portion of this blog or you can email me at kstyer@identigene.com.  Thank you in advance for your help to improve this resource.

Paternity Fraud.  It is a hot topic right now.  If you have searched for blogs about paternity and child support there are numerous pages dedicated to protecting alleged father’s from “paternity fraud.”

In there eyes there are too many cases of men paying child support who do not need to be.  This is a frustrating and large problem that can possibly be prevented by DNA Paternity Testing before support decisions are made.  An example of an advocacy group working tirelessly to prevent and stop “fathers” being required to pay for children that are not their own is the US-CAPF (United States Citizens Against Paternity Fraud).  Their website is www.paternityfraud.com.

I have been reading about this subject for quite a few months, and I do find the trend of mothers naming the incorrect person as the father just to get child support very troubling.  At the same time while reading on this topic I still find the same amount of articles about men dodging paying child support in cases where they are known to be the father of child.  This is as much a fraud of paternity as anything the previous articles describe.  One such article was about a gentleman who attempted to cheat official child support payments by enlisting someone to do that paternity DNA test for him.  You can read more here: http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/09/13/news/state/s_news258.txt.

Paternity fraud is an issue that plagues not only American courts but courts world wide.  What is the answer?  Mandatory paternity testing at birth?  It is my belief that this is not the answer.  But then what is?  Unfortunately, I am not certain there is one.

At IDENTIGENE we strive to help provide answers for all types of questions that require DNA testing.  If you have questions regarding paternity or other relationships please feel free to contact us to assist you in starting the DNA Testing process.  You can reach a DNA Testing Expert by calling 1-888-404-4363.  You can also contact me at 801-462-1465 or kstyer@identigene.com.

So, we have talked about some very important numbers thus far and what they mean to the results of your testing.  Today, I want to go over the majority of numbers one sees on their DNA Test results.  Genetic systems are the DNA markers that are tested and reported on your DNA Testing results.  On each report there are generally sixteen markers displayed.  Fifteen of these are used to help determine your DNA Test results.

The names of these systems are listed on the report.  An example of one is D2S1338.  These names were determined by those that discovered them.  Each person has two genes at each marker.  On your DNA Test result you will sometimes note that there is only one number listed.  This means that at this marker a person has two of the same.  For example, if at the D2S1338 a person has two 8s the report will only show it once.

In the case of a DNA Paternity Test the alleged father must match at least one of these numbers at each of the fifteen markers.  Without matches at each position he can be excluded as the biological father of the child. As mentioned in an earlier post having the biological mother included with each DNA test will strengthen the results of your test.

The last marker on a DNA Test is the AMEL (short for amelogenin) gene.  This is the gene that indicates a person gender.  This is not generally related to the actual results of a DNA Test.

I hope this explains a little of how the numbers on our DNA Testing reports work.  If anyone has ANY questions please feel free to ask.  Also, there is a page on our website with more information on how to interpret results: http://www.dnatesting.com/resources/dnaResults.php.

When you look at a report for DNA Testing there are always a lot of numbers.  These numbers throughout the report indicate several things, and it can be overwhelming to figure out which ones are important.  As far as understanding your results only two of these numbers will really help you understand the result of your test.

First is the percentage listed as the ‘Probability of Paternity.’  This percentage is generally one of two numbers in a DNA Paternity Test 0% and 99% or higher.  This number is probably the most helpful when trying to interpret your DNA Testing results.

In other tests like Siblingship or Avuncular DNA Tests you will not have a percentage in your results.  Here the conclusion is based upon an index number which is calculated based on the DNA markers shared by the individuals being tested.  This number in this type of testing is anywhere between 0 and basically infinity. When the number is between 0 and 1 it is considered more likely that two people are unrelated.  If it is between 1 and 75 the relationship is considered to be favored but still the result is considered inconclusive.  If above 75 it is more likely that the individuals are related than not.  In this type of testing a result is rarely considered fully conclusive.

In a DNA Paternity Test or a Grandparent DNA test with both grandparents you will also have an index number.  This number is generally either 0 or 150 and above.  If this number is 0 it is considered an exclusion.  If the number is above 150 it means that the alleged father is that many times more likely to be the alleged father than an untested, unrelated, man of the same ethnicity.

Tomorrow I will tell you a little about all the other numbers on your report and how they relate to your results.  I know that the reports can be a little difficult to read.  I hope that my explanation has shed a little light on the matter, if not tell me and I can break it down a little farther.

At IDENTIGENE we offer various types of DNA Testing.  Most if not all of our tests are meant to help discover the truth behind lingering questions.  Because DNA is scientific in nature many of our reports have language and information on them that isn’t always easy to understand.

The most common question I remember when explaining results to customers was, “What does not excluded mean?”  This phrase can be one of a few phrases that someone may see in the conclusion portion of their DNA Paternity Report.

Well, not excluded means just that.  It means that the person who was tested cannot be excluded as the biological father of a child.  When this appears on a report it will also show a probability of paternity of 99% or higher.  Because of the nature of DNA testing we cannot just out right say that someone is the father of a child.

I hope this sheds a little light on this phrase.  Next time we will talk about other phrases that may seem a little confusing on your DNA Paternity report or other DNA Test results.  Any specific questions on results feel free to comment on the blog or email me at kstyer@identigene.com

This weekend I was thinking about where anyone one of our customer’s must be coming from.  I know that I have never been in the situation where you may be.  I have never discovered infidelity within a relationship and had to question whether the children I know are actually mine.  Nor have I ever had someone approach me stating he could be my father.

There must be quite a few emotions involved, and I empathize where I can.  However, I know there are many people who would like to discuss these things with someone who has been there.  I know I would.  At IDENTIGENE we have worked to devlop an online community forum where everyone can join in the conversation.  People have started to put there toes in the water and reach out to each other by posting their stories.

We would like to see more of this.  I would be happy to join in the conversation, but I would prefer if we together were able to build a true community.  To me this community involves future, current, and past customers of IDENTIGENE getting involved posting, replying, and helping each other.  Even those who have not used IDENTIGENE to do their DNA Testing are welcome to post about their experiences about this powerful situation.

You can find the forum on our website at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-testing-forum/.   I know there are people who would love to start talking.  Now is your chance.

Happy Friday everyone.  I received an email from a fellow client support representative this morning.  She told me that a lot of customers are asking about the online system and how they can use it to view their DNA Test results.  So, I thought I would throw a note up about this system.

When you are filling out your order form that you receive with your DNA Testing Kit, a portion will ask how you would like to receive your results.  One option to receive results is online.  Here you will enter a username and password.  We recommend using your email address as this username and you can choose ANY password.  I recommend writing this information down so that you do not misplace it as it will require additional paperwork to make changes.

After your samples arrive this log in information can be used to check the status of your testing and view your results.  On DNATesting.com there is a results login link on the top right hand corner of the page.  This will take you to the log in screen.  Remember your password is case sensitive so enter it exactly as you wrote it on the order form.

I hope this will help a few people make the online system a little easier.  Have a great weekend everyone.  As always you can contact me directly if you have questions about IDENTIGENE, DNA, or Paternity Testing.  KStyer@identigene.com or 801-462-1465.

Other than DNA testing for relationships IDENTIGENE offers one type of testing for Ancestry searches.  This test is called Ancestry by DNA 2.5.  It is a popular test for people who are just trying to get an idea of what regions of the world their ancestors may have come from.

Ancestry by DNA 2.5 will give you a percentage breakdown of your DNA into four different population groups.  These groups are Native American, European, East Asian, and Sub-Saharan African.  It is not able to break down the percentages much further.  For example, it cannot tell you which tribe your Native American percentage may have come from.  Also, it is a total picture of your DNA and cannot tell you which side of the family a given percentage may have come from. There is more information on our website about this type of test on our website at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-ancestry-services/ancestry-by-dna.php

There is one upgrade option to this test.  This is called the Euro DNA 1.0.  This test is only available after the Ancestry by DNA results are returned and show that you have at least 50% European, less than 40% East Asian, and less than 15% of either Native American and Sub-Saharan African.   This additional testing will reflect the following sub percentages of Northern European, Mediterranean, Middle Easter, and South Asian.  You can find more information on this type of testing on our website at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-ancestry-services/dna-test-euro.php.

Many people find these tests interesting and understand it is mostly for informational purposes.  Some people take this type of testing in an attempt to confirm certain types of heritage to join organizations.  Please understand that these results may not be accepted by these groups.  You must check with them.  Unfortunately, our client support group is not aware of which organizations may or may not accept these results.

I had this test done a few years ago and was I found that while I am 90% European (not a shocker when you see my pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair) and 10% Native American.  This part was a large surprise for me and for my father as he has been doing our family’s genealogy for years and has no records of where this could have come from.

So, the results of this type of testing can be interesting and maybe answer a couple of questions you have about your ancestry.

The other day, I received an email from a customer who had purchased a IDENTIGENE DNA Paternity Test Kit from a local Rite Aid.  With her permission I am reposting the email here.  I have left her name off of the email to protect her privacy.

Choosing the right DNA test was hard for me. I called all the 1-800 #’s , searched online. Then a friend told me about the Rite Aid test. I did some research and thought that it was right for me. I bought the test and then mailed it in. It took me 10 business days (including mailing time for the samples) and I had my results. I am Very pleased with my experience. Not only was it fast and painless, it was cheap in comparison to the $400. the other companys wanted. So thank you Identigene.”

This is one of many accounts of customers I hear from weekly.  We are not a perfect company and there is always room for improvement.  We work constantly to improve our processes and need customer input to make this happen.  I would love to hear from other customers like this one or those who have had other less positive experiences with IDENTIGENE.  You can reach me at my work phone number 801-462-1465 or by email at kstyer@identigene.com

Many people want to find answers when a father is no longer in the picture or never has been.  Whether he has passed away or is just unreachable there are other options to find the answers you are looking for.

First would be to test another relative.  For example you can test the alleged father’s parents.  This is called a DNA Grandparentage testing.  There are other types of tests available.  You can also test another child and do either or full or half sibling DNA test.  These types of test are not always as conclusive as a DNA Paternity Test.  They will provide the best answer available with your DNA.  Some tests may state the results are inconclusive but that the DNA supports or does not support the tested relationship.

You can also test for paternity with the sample who has passed away.  For example some people are able to have the medical examiner or coroner send a sample of blood that was collected from the alleged father before his body was embalmed.  Other people have been able to locate a sample of DNA other than a blood sample.  You can find a list of samples that may be successful in DNA testing and more about the pricing of this type of testing on our website at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-paternity-testing/no-father-paternity-test.php.

Whatever the scenario may be we suggest speaking with a client support representative to ensure you are choosing the best test for you.  You can reach someone at: 888-404-4363.  You can also email me or post your questions to our DNA forum by visiting our online DNA Community page:  http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-community/.