I have been reading a lot in the news about celebrity paternity testing (links generated by my Google alerts for paternity test), and I found a few articles about DNA Testing in cattle.  As a little bit of a science geek it intrigued me.  Thought I would share my findings.

While this is not a service offered by IDENTIGENE, it is out there.   Apparently, DNA Testing is used in cattle farming for many reasons.  For example, a farmer may test new cattle for paternity in a multiple bull breeding pasture.   Reasons for this include determining whether a bull is not breeding as often as others or which bull is producing bulls with ‘defects.’

Other farmers have been known to test the DNA of their cattle to curb out poor traits before breeding them.  There are a few major traits being tested for currently, one is curly calf syndrome.  This type of DNA Testing is done in an attempt to ensure that only the best cattle are reproducing.

While this testing in cattle may in fact produce a better crop of cows, it is eerily familiar.  I know its a reach from cattle DNA testing to a world like GATTACA, but I always get a little curious as to how far eugenics will take our society with DNA testing in its tool box.   But then again I think too much.

Even without this theory in mind the idea that we are using this type of testing for our cattle and various crops is extremely interesting, at least to me.  Really, where will we go next?  Any thoughts or questions?

Today I stumbled upon an article on the Time’s website.  Thought I would pass on the link.  http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1905706,00.html It is amazing to me how far we have come in such a short time.  DNA Testing has become necessary for not only criminal cases, but paternity and child support cases around the globe require a conclusive DNA Paternity Test.

The history of DNA Testing for paternity cases is just as rich, and IDENTIGENE has expanded that history by bringing peace of mind testing to pharmacies near you.  When I started working here in March of 2006 I never would have guessed that we would be in every major pharmacy in such a short time.  What is next?

Just a short post for an announcement. After a few months of down time, I have relaunched the message board forum on DNATesting.com.    I would love to start seeing posts from customers and non-customers who have questions about Paternity and other DNA Testing.  This is just another avenue for people to discuss all the things that come up with DNA Testing.

As always if there are any questions, concerns, or feedback feel free to comment.

You can also follow me on twitter.com (@askkate) or friend me on facebook.com search for Ask Kate in Utah.

Have a great weekend, and I look forward to hearing from everyone.

No, this is not something we offer, nor is it something we plan to offer.  However, I have been hearing more and more about this, and so I went searching for more information.

I found a few videos, and I was intrigued at the level of interest I found.  Apparently, the DNA test is supposed to be able to tell you the breed of your dog.  I found a few skeptics out there. I am really interested about the science behind all of this, but I cannot find much as far as that goes.    Has anyone used this type of test?  What did you think? I don’t have a dog, or I think I would try it out myself.

I have been working in client support for two years now.  In that time I have talked to A LOT of people about life changing paternity test results.  Sometimes we make a connection, the customer and I.  It may sound cheesy, but I know that during these difficult times people are looking for someone willing to hear their story.  I enjoy not only hearing the story but hearing the updates as their lives progress.

A few customers have stayed in touch over the years, and I know that the results of their Paternity Tests have definitely made an impact on their paths.  When I first started working in client support, I spoke with a woman who needed a paternity test on her son, who had passed away, and a child who was conceived shortly before his death.

She was very distraught and would call and email me several times a day.  She emailed me pictures of herself, her son, and the new child.  We discussed the things that would change in her life if this was in fact her grandchild.  Apparently, she didn’t feel the mother of the child was fit to care for the child.  Though she was nervous because she wasn’t sure at her age, 62, she could care for a newborn.

Finally, when her test results were ready she cried.  She wasn’t ready to hear them.  Either way she knew her life was changed forever. It was her son’s child.  For weeks I would hear from her about the court battles over custody and support.

Soon the emails started only coming in every few months.  She had won full custody of the child, and her life was dramatically different.  I still look forward to hearing from her.  The child is almost 18 months old now.

I am not sure I will ever fully understand the magnitude of paternity test results, but I do know I have enjoyed meeting people as they have traveled through what often times can be an exciting and difficult journey.

The news these days seems to be flooded with tales of infidelity among celebrities, politicians, and the “elite” in general.  Recent news of Michael Lohan’s attempts to perform his own Paternity Test reminds us in similar situations that we need a reliable lab to interpret all data from ANY DNA test. At IDENTIGENE all paternity tests and all other relationship tests are reviewed by scientists with a Doctoral degree and years of experience in laboratory science.  This way we can ensure you are getting the most accurate and complete result possible.

There is also continuing stories of John Edward’s affair with Rielle Hunter which may or may not have resulted in a child, Frances Quinn Hunter.  There are currently rumors that a soiled diper was stolen from a hotel where Hunter was staying in hopes of performing a Paternity Test without the mother’s or John Edward’s knowledge.  This is one of many reasons why at IDENTIGENE we require that all participants or their legal guardians consent to the testing.  In my opinion, its a breech of privacy and well a little gross.

News is out there about many “celebrities”, their lives, their alleged children, and the paternity testing that must be done to determine the truth.  While much of it is sensationalized we know there are stories of people who just want the truth.  We want to hear these stories.  Not just because they are of great interest, but also because your story can help someone else out there.  There are many people feeling they are alone in this endeavor.

If you feel so inclined you can certainly share your story on our forum at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-testing-forum.  Feel free to write your stories in the comment section of this blog.  I hope you are all having a wonderful week.

There are a couple of more reports of IDENTIGENE in regional news.  I am excited to see the word starting to spread about our company and the good that it is doing for many people.  By the way if you would like to share your DNA Paternity Test story please feel free to email me or call.

Also, I have been finding many blogs out there about our test or paternity testing in general.  Hopefully, my comments have been helpful and insightful.  Many people writing these blogs have not dealt with paternity tests before, and they seem to have a lot of preconceived ideas on the subject.

My goal is to be helpful.  Really, its that simple.  If there are more ways I can be helpful to you my readers please let me know.

Arkansas News Affiliate KARK covers release:

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/?cid=131801

South Dakota News Affiliate KDLT’s coverage

http://www.kdlt.com/news/1021n1.html

kstyer@identigene.com

With the official launch in Walgreens IDENTIGENE is getting some great press.  You should check out some of the stories.  I will link to them at the end.  If you feel comfortable feel free to comment on the stories and your thoughts.  If you find other stories out there feel free to throw them on the comments for others to check out.

Also, coming soon: DNA Testing Fact Sheets.  I have been working on a few different topics to develop information you can share with whomever you think may need it.  After reading through all these news articles and comments I have realized there a lot of misconceptions about Paternity Testing and hopefully together we can put those to rest.

WTSP is the CBS affiliate in Tampa Bay, Florida. Link includes video and entertaining comment board.

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=92578&catid=8

WCBD-TV is the NBC affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina.  Link includes video and article.  I have not been able to get the video link to work.  If anyone does, let me know what you did.  Thanks.

http://www.counton2.com/cbd/news/local/article/over_the_counter_dna_paternity_tests_on_store_shelves/15837/

KCCI-TV is a CBS affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa.  There is a video here as well.

http://www.kcci.com/news/17764611/detail.html

These are the news stories I have found thus far today.  Seriously, if you catch anything else on your local news or just while you are surfing let me know.  I would love to check it out.  Thanks.

I told you there were many changes coming to the website.  Yesterday, we launched the new home page which looks pretty snazzy, if I do say so myself.  Also, this morning we updated our DNA Community page.  Not much has changed but now you can put a face to the name Kate.  It isn’t exactly my face, but the cartoon version is definately interesting to say the least.

I hope you like it or at least enjoy it.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.  I am really looking forward to hearing everyone’s feedback.

There are a few questions that come up about who pays for the paternity test or any other DNA test.  Some are fairly common and some are a little more obscure. Here are just a few.

Can I use my checking account to pay for the test?

Currently, we do accept credit/debit cards for payment or a money order.  We cannot process a check over the phone and we do not currently accept personal checks mailed with your DNA samples.

Will my insurance company pay for the testing?

Simplest answer for this question would be to ask your insurance company.  I have never heard of a health insurance company paying for this type of testing.  If they do it will likely be through a reimbursement program.

Can I use my flex spending account to pay for this testing?

My experience has been, no you cannot.  I have processed a few payments for customers that continually declined.  When I asked about the card the customers have mentioned it was a flex spending account.  When I researched our companies flex account DNA testing of any kind is not covered.  I would imagine it would be the same for any company.

If the results come back negative do I get my money back?

This question is often asked by the alleged father in a case.  Can anyone guess the answer?  No, we do not refund the money of your test if you are not the father.  If you would like to try and get the biological mother to pay you back for it that is something between you and her, IDENTIGENE will kindly stay out of that dispute.

As a government employee can I get them to pay for the DNA Test?

I honestly don’t know the answer to this question, but my guess is no.

These are a couple of most common payment questions we receive.  If you have a question that was not addressed here feel free to add it to our forum: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-testing-forum or leave a comment on this blog.  Have a nice day!