First, if you are screening for genetic diseases, you should understand that home DNA testing kits need to be considered in conjunction with many other factors that influence the development of many diseases tested for in home DNA testing kits.  There are a range of environmental, social and behavior factors that can influence disease along with genetic factors.

Second, if you are interested in home DNA testing kits for paternity, you should know that although these tests are highly reliable and may be the best choice in many circumstances, but the results from these test are not admissible in court.  For a court ordered paternity test, or to use the results in any court proceedings or to provide as evidence to government welfare agencies, you will need to have legal DNA paternity testing done.

Finally, although there are a variety of excellent laboratories that sell affordable home DNA testing kits online, you should always compare prices between companies for these tests, being sure the prices include both the DNA testing kit and laboratory results.  Home DNA testing kits generally range in price from a couple of hundred dollars up to several hundred dollars.

By carefully comparing prices of online laboratories and keeping these cautionary points in mind, you should be able to get some answers to pressing questions you have regarding paternity, genetics, ancestry and more.

You can find more information about home DNA testing kits on the Legal DNA Paternity Testing homepage

With a home DNA paternity test kit, you will have the advantage of keeping your DNA testing for paternity confidential and discrete.  A home DNA paternity test is ideal for individuals who wish to do a paternity test but do not want to create undo tension, especially if the results do not conflict with what is expected.

An at home DNA paternity test kit can easily be purchased online (often the best deal), or over the counter in certain pharmacies.  You will be able to choose between a buccal swab DNA paternity test or a hair home DNA paternity test.  With the buccal swab kit, a cotton like swab is rubbed on the inside of the mouth of the individuals being tested, while with a hair DNA paternity test three or more pieces of hair are needed (entire lengths of hair from head, public or other regions are acceptable, but these hair pieces must contain the root portion – cut hair will not suffice).  With DNA testing for paternity kits, the possible father, child, and sometimes the biological mother are tested, and results are available from one to three weeks depending on the test kit provider.

Legal DNA paternity testing is the best route to go if you are involved in legal motions involving child custody and support.  A legal DNA paternity test (or a court ordered paternity test) differ from home DNA paternity tests in that there is a third, impartial witness to the testing process involved, and some courts may require that the mother be tested as well as the presumed father and child.

With a legal DNA paternity test, the testing process will be monitored by a witness and the final results will be notarized and can be submitted as evidence in court or to appropriate government or state agencies (be sure, however, to check what the legal requirements are for the state you live in, since this can vary).

Home DNA paternity test kits tend to be a bit more cheaper than legal DNA paternity testing.  An at home DNA paternity test usually runs less than $300, while a court ordered or legal DNA paternity test can cost up to $500.

DNA testing for paternity can be a very emotionally charged process.  Careful thought and choice should be given as to which variety of DNA testing for paternity is right given the circumstances at hand.  For more information about DNA testing for paternity, please visit the Legal DNA Paternity Testing website.

There are two kinds of home paternity testing kits that most consumers will encounter when shopping online or in stores.  The first is known as a “buccal swab analysis” and the second is hair sample analysis.

With a buccal swab, a cotton like swab is rubbed on the inside of the mouth to collect cells that are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.  For hair DNA analysis, a full length of hair (including the root section) is sent to the laboratory.  This can be head, body or pubic hair, but it cannot be cut hair since this will not contain the root.  A typical hair sample DNA test will require you pluck three or more hairs from the person or persons being tested and place them in a coded sealed container.

Home DNA test kits can be used not only establish paternity but also for ancestry DNA testing, and for finding predisposition to certain diseases.  Most home DNA tests will take up to three weeks to obtain results.

Home DNA paternity tests are important devices when individuals or families seek to ascertain paternity in a confidential manner, but you should be aware that they have no legal standing in courts.  If you are interested in using your DNA results in a court case, you will need to have a legally certified DNA test conducted.

You can read more about legal DNA paternity testing, including information about court ordered paternity tests, at the Legal DNA Paternity Testing website.

DNA home tests that are marketed directly to consumers are legal in about half the states in the United States, although they are banned in many European countries.  One of the dangers of home DNA tests is that for the tests looking at genetic disease predisposition, the individual taking the test may not fully understand how such diseases are also influenced by a range of environmental, social, behavioral and genetic factors.  As a result, they may  falsely conclude they have more or less risk for a disease based on the results of home DNA tests.

This is one of the main reasons so many states and European countries have banned the use of home DNA tests.  But also, many of the companies that sell home DNA test kits have an interest in marketing and selling individuals supplements to improve your health based on your results, and there is serious concern that the commercial interests of many of these companies may be influencing the information and the manner they relate to consumers who use at home DNA tests.

There is, however, at least one major advantage to using an home DNA tests: privacy concerns.  Although you need to read the fine print regarding privacy and disclosure for any company you purchase a home DNA test from, the desire to keep the results private is one major motivating factor for many consumers.

Recently the American Societies of Human Genetics made some recommendations regarding how to best ascertain and use at home DNA tests.  They suggest that you carefully read the privacy policy for the company to ascertain who confidential the results will be and if there will be any risk to your insurance if there are negative results.  The company should be able to tell you in plain language how predictive and scientifically valid their results are, especially in comparison to other disease risk factors.  The company should also have some policy regarding how to deal with the emotional consequences of a result showing predisposition to diseases. And finally, the laboratory should be certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) of 1988.

As common sense always suggests, however, with any home DNA test that you are purchasing online or elsewhere, be sure to read the fine print and make sure the tests come from high quality labs with a national reputation.

For more information about home DNA paternity test kits, please return to the Legal DNA Paternity Testing homepage.

If you are are seeking a private method of DNA paternity testing, an at home test kit may be the best choice.  DNA paternity test kits allow for self-collection of materials, and can help avoid unnecessary confrontations or tensions that often occur with a legal DNA paternity testing.

If you are taking the DNA paternity test only for personal knowledge and do not plan on any immediate legal actions, an at home DNA paternity test is an easy and affordable option when compared to a legal DNA paternity test.  Both legal and at home DNA paternity tests have the same level of accuracy of results, but if you do not need the legal documentation, you can save yourself a bit of money by choosing an at home DNA paternity test.

Even if you may be seeking legal action, home DNA paternity test may be the best choice for you initially. Many choose to use an at home DNA paternity test to help prove or disprove any doubts about paternity prior to obtaining a legal DNA paternity test.

At home DNA paternity test kits are also easily available online or over the counter, and provide quick results with minimum hassle.  Do make sure, however, when pricing your at home DNA paternity test that the price you are paying also includes obtaining the results (or find out how much extra the results will cost).  You should expect to pay in the $100-300 range for most at home paternity test kits.

There are many reasons to choose an at home DNA paternity test kit.  However, if you think legal DNA paternity testing may be the best choice for you, or if you are interested in obtaining or have been ordered to take a court ordered paternity test, please read the other articles at Legal DNA Paternity Testing for more information.

DNA paternity testing is a powerful tool in paternity disputes.  Modern day DNA tests can identify or exclude individuals with close to 100% accuracy.  If you would like to take a DNA paternity test to answer questions regarding paternity, you have two main options: a home paternity test kit or legal DNA paternity testing.  Both kinds of tests are highly accurate.

The advantages of using a home kit is that they are generally cheaper, results are quick and they are easily available over the counter.  Home kits are a useful DNA paternity test for those seeking certainty regarding paternity, but are not (currently) involved in legal proceedings regarding this issue.

If there are legal implications involved with the outcome of the paternity test, however, you will need to undergo legal DNA paternity testing.  This testing must be done by an accredited laboratory, and is generally done in person, although some companies may offer at home testing either by having one of their lab technicians make a ‘house call’ or by having some other impartial witness collect the samples and certify the test (you will need to make sure, however, that your state will accept results taken outside a laboratory).

There are many online companies that offer affordable at home DNA paternity test kits and who offer accredited legal DNA paternity testing.  When selecting a company for legal DNA paternity testing, you should ensure that the company has AABB accreditation and is certified to do such testing for the state you live in.

A DNA paternity test can cost anywhere in the range of $100-$500 depending on the provider and whether it is an at home test or a legally certifiable test.  When pricing a DNA paternity test, you should make sure that the cost involves both the collection materials and receiving the results (some companies offer a cheap price upfront for an at home DNA paternity test kit, but obtaining the actual results will cost considerably more).

By knowing your options regarding DNA paternity testing and making a careful selection of a DNA testing lab, you will be on the road to have your questions answered regarding paternity.  For more articles and answers to common questions regarding DNA paternity testing, visit the Legal DNA Paternity Testing homepage.