Consumers should exercise caution when purchasing home DNA paternity tests
An article in the Sunday, March 28th issue of the Dayton Daily News discusses the importance of lab accreditation for DNA labs performing DNA paternity tests.
With the increasing accessibility of at-home paternity testing available over the internet, the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University issued a policy brief urging anyone considering home paternity testing to check the DNA paternity testing lab’s credentials first.
There are no mandatory certifications for DNA paternity testing labs under federal law. Reputable paternity testing labs will however, seek voluntary accreditation through the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB). The AABB accreditation is a yearly review that checks the quality and operation of the DNA paternity testing lab, including their methods of DNA collection, paternity testing and distribution of paternity test results.
Identigene, the only over-the-counter paternity testing kit sold in drugstores, urges consumers to check that the lab performing the paternity test is accredited with the AABB.
The institute further cautions that at-home paternity test results are not usually admissible in court due to the potential for false identification of the tested individual.
Identigene’s tests may be admissible in court if the samples are collected in accordance with a strict chain-of-custody procedure. Identigene partners with a nationwide network of DNA specimen collectors. For legal paternity tests, DNA samples are collected at one of these collection sites and the samples are tracked until they arrive at Identigene’s DNA paternity testing lab in Salt Lake City, UT.
For more information on Legal Paternity Testing, visit http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-testing/legal-paternity-testing.php
To view Identigene’s AABB and LAB accreditations visit http://www.dnatesting.com/accreditation/index.php
Fatal error: Call to undefined function wp_gdsr_rating_article() in /home/dnatest/public_html/dna-testing-blog/wp-content/themes/fluid-blue/archive.php on line 113