Home DNA test kits are often called “direct-to-consumer” DNA tests, since they do not require a doctor’s authorization to purchase or use.  Different states have different regulations regarding their purchase, so one of the first steps you need to take is to make sure that the test you want is available for the area you live.

Next you need to look at what is included in the pricing.  You may be caught up $99 offers for home DNA test kits, but you need to make sure that what you are purchasing not only includes the testing equipment but also the testing results.  If not, that kit will become useless to you unless you are willing to shell out often hundreds of dollars more in money to find out what the results are.

Finally, for any all home DNA test kits you need to use sensible precautions when it comes to interpreting the results you receive.  For example, there are many different environmental, behavior and social influences on disease, and if you are taking a test for genetic predisposition for disease you should be sure that the company (or another source) provides reliable information on how to interpret your results given this complexity.  It is because of the difficulty in understanding genetic results that many states and countries ban the use of over the counter home DNA test kits.  If you have questions that the DNA test kit company cannot answer, you should go to your family practitioner or a genetic specialist to get more information.

If you are interested in learning more about home DNA test kits, including information about paternity testing kits, please return to the Legal DNA Paternity Testing information 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.