Nothing is more important than knowing the truth! Even if the truth may hurt and cause you and those around you upset. Anyone can find themselves in the common situation where the father wants confirmation if a child is his or not. A mother may have had a number of sexual partners and she and the father have genuine doubts that the baby may be his. Both mother and father may have even encountered a ‘one-night stand resulting in a child being created, whatever the circumstance of a child being brought into this world, all involved should know the truth.
Paternity Doubts
Sometimes doubts over paternity are doubts that have never been suggested previously, these doubts may be triggered by other events. For example, when a couple separates on bad terms, the mother could try to claim that the child is not the father. The mother will know whether or not this is true, but the father won’t. Even if these claims are unfounded, they may sow seeds of doubt that cannot be ignored.
The reality is paternity doubts happen more than we know. There are a number of men who are raising children who are not their own biologically and the mother knows and prefers not to say, this is called paternity fraud.
The Statistics
Researchers pawed through a host of scientific articles published around the world from 1950 through last year. The perceived "paternal discrepancy rate," ranges from less than 1 percent to as high as 30 percent in the various studies. Most researchers believe the rate is less than 10 percent.
The author's settled on four percent -- one in 25 families -- in an article intheJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
It is claimed that Jamaica has the highest rate of paternity fraud in the world 34.6%, followed by Nigeria with 30%. Canada, the UK and France are on the list with 2.8%, 1.6% and 1.4% respectively.
The Test
The test uses a DNA profile for each individual and compares the data to determine if there is a genetic match. If the child and potential father genetically match, then he is the biological father. If the data does not match, then he is excluded as the biological father.Most laboratories usually process results in 2 to 5 days from the time samples are received. There are legal and non-legal paternity tests.
The legal test results can be used in court, such as for child support.
The non-legal paternity test involves collecting your samples in the privacy of your home. Non-legal paternity tests are not legally defensible because they were not collected at a lab or hospital and do not include the correct documentation to support the collection.
Cost Of Testing
The cost of a DNA paternity test can vary. A legal DNA paternity test typically costs from £320, which usually includes the collection costs associated with the test.
Non-legal paternity tests start at about £20 for the retail kit (not including the testing) to around £250, depending on additional services such as expedited testing and shipping.
Conclusion
Paternity fraud is a violation of the child’s right to dignity as the child is subjected to mental, emotional and psychological trauma. When a woman decides to lie about the paternity of a child it has tremendous effect on the victims (the child, the biological father and the father who has fathered the child) that can leave irreparable damage. Tests should become mandatory upon birth to stop a woman being able to lie about who the biological father of a child is.
Paternity Test Information
Gov.UK
Boots
DNA Testing Clinic
