DNA Paternity Testing Dallas, TX

This a question that I had to ask myself 12 yrs ago. I wish that there had been this information made available to me then. A paternity test andother DNA testing can be used for child support, in determining who the father is. It can help with inheritanceclaims, immigration, adoption.

Now you may be asking how accurate are these tests. It has been said that DNA testing is the most accurate in determining paternity. Each and every one of us has a unique DNA fingerprint, we inherit all of our DNA from our parents. This testing is considered to be a 100% accurate.

Testing is very simple, you take a special Q-Tip, and you swab the inside of the cheeks for 20 seconds from both the alleged father and the child if possible.You are also able to test the baby before its born, by using a sample from the umbilical cord. This sample and test is performed during pregnancy when the results are wanted sooner.

Now there are times when a Chain of Custody test is used. What this means is that they want to setup child support and visitation rights in the case of the baby.This means that the test in question and the results will hold up in a court of law.

When testing to get the most accurate results you should test both the mother and alleged father as well as the baby at the time.When you include the mother during the testing it will isolate the genes if there are any that may come from another potential father. In special cases if the father is deceased they can still test based on what is called a viability test.

If a paternity test is ordered always prepare yourself with finding out as much as you can before the test.

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Court Ordered Paternity Test

Where you aware that only a chain of custody paternity test will hold up in court?  Although a basic paternity test is just as accurate you can expect to pay two times more for a chain of custody test. 

The extra cost is to cover the additional steps that must be taken to ensure the integrity of the DNA samples.  Throughout the entire DNA test process your specimen will be accounted for and logged. 

When you go in for a court ordered paternity test you can expect a different experience than simply getting a regular paternity test.  With a basic DNA test no government issued identification is required and no steps are taken to confirm your identity.  There is no standard for how a DNA sample is provided.  On one occasion a nice young lady showed up with young child in one hand and a used tooth brush in the other.  All do-it-yourself home DNA kits are considered “non-chain of custody”. 

As a side note, collection is where practically all errors are made.  Even with sketchy DNA labs I have not heard of an error occurring at the laboratory.  Incorrect collections with home DNA kits are extremely common and I do not advise them at all.

What to Expect From a Court Ordered Paternity Test.

Bring your drivers license and you will have to take off hats and/or optical lenses such as sunglasses.  A photo will be taken during the collection process for verification purposes.  DNA samples are most often taken by swabbing the inside of the mouth with a cotton swab.  Although it is not required you should take note that your DNA sample and the child’s DNA sample are collected and processed separately prior to being packaged and shipped to the laboratory.  I have heard of situations where an incorrect chain of custody paternity test resulted in the father having female DNA and the daughter having male DNA.  In this situation the entire DNA test was not accepted by the court and the father and daughter had to redo the paternity test.

How Much Should a Court Ordered Paternity Test Cost?

Pricing varies lab to lab, state to state and country to country.  It even varies according to how far you live from a major city.  Nowadays every city with over 100k people has a DNA collection center.  A certified lab normally charges about $375-$500 for a chain of custody DNA test using saliva samples.  However, more often than not this does not include collection fees.  It is very important that you determine all hidden costs before choosing your DNA lab.  Paternity testing is a competitive market and many labs only post part of the total cost in order to capture a larger amount of sales.

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Father and Newborn

Good question.  Some men might hope so while others hope not.  First off, do not make assumptions while the mother is still pregnant.  Performing a paternity test while pregnant can be very expensive.  Most DNA laboratories do not even perform this test.  If you wait until the baby is born a DNA paternity test costs around $200.

If you don’t have $200 lying around you may find yourself staring at the baby wondering if it looks like you.  I strongly discourage using physical attributes to determine who the father.  Although science shows a dominant trait will always be expressed I am here to tell you there are scientific exceptions in every single case.  The only way to know for sure is a paternity test.

Who says a baby has to look like the father?  Mothers and fathers mesh together in ways that neither parent is recognizable in the child’s physical features.  This is usually the occasion in situations where one or both the parents are overweight and the child has a normal BMI. 

I have performed hundreds of paternity tests and have heard every excuse you could possibly think of to explain why a father does or does not believe the child is his.  Hair color and skin color are probably the weakest argument I have come across. 

Sometimes even I am surprised.  Recently, two Caucasian parents came in with a child that had Hispanic features.  Hair texture, color and curl were different from the parents.  Skin color, jaw and eye shape also differed.  The DNA showed a 99.999% probability that the child was theirs. 

Although Jerry Springer and other TV shows create an exciting and entertaining situation when a paternity test is performed I want to make it very clear that this is not reality.  I have never performed a paternity test and everyone was happy and in a good mood.  Paternity tests come with a high level of anxiety and stress.   And do not expect 99.999% to be good enough.  Twice in the past month I have witnessed total abandonment of a child in situations where a paternity test resulted in a 99.999% positive result.

What should you expect when you get a paternity test?  Considering I work for Any Lab Test Now® North Dallas I will share my experience.  You can expect to not wait in line.  It is our goal to get you in-and-out within 15minutes.  You can expect courtesy and respect.  We do not judge, gossip or look down on anyone.  You can expect fast results.  Once your DNA sample reaches our laboratory for testing we have the results in-hand within 48hrs.  And finally, you can expect a basic paternity test to cost $199 exactly, no extra fees or charges.

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DNA testing is sometimes referred to as DNA fingerprinting. It is called a fingerprint because it is very unlikely that any 2 people would have exactly the same DNA information, in the same way that is is very unlikely that any 2 people would have exactly the same physical fingerprint. The one exception to that would be with identical twins, or monozygotic twins. When one egg is fertilized by one sperm cell, and then divides and separates, two identical cells will result. Monozygotic twins are genetically identical (unless there has been a mutation during development) and they are almost always the same sex.

Only a small sample of cells is needed for DNA fingerprinting. DNA testing can be done on cells obtained by a simple swab of the cheeks inside the mouth, a drop of blood, root of hair, or semen. The process of collecting these specimens is a very simple process, but if not done properly can lead to inconclusive results. Although home paternity test kits are available, they are not as accurate and the results cannot be used in a court of law.

In the United States, AABB regulates DNA paternity and family relationship testing industry. Only the DNA test results produced by an AABB-accredited laboratory are legally admissible and accepted by government child support agencies, welfare benefits offices and immigration authorities. The DNA paternity test that follows strict chain of custody can generate legally admissible results that are used for child support, inheritance, social welfare benefits, immigration, or adoption purposes. To satisfy the chain-of-custody legal requirements, all tested parties have to be properly identified and their specimens collected by a third party professional who is not related to any of the tested parties and has no interest in the outcome of the test.

 DNA testing is currently the most advanced and accurate technology to determine parentage. In a DNA parentage test, the probability is 0% when the alleged parent is not biologically related to the child and the probability typically greater than 99.9% when the alleged parent is biologically related to the child.

 Genetic testing used to determine the biological father of a child is called a DNA Paternity test. Every person carries two copies of most genes (one copy from the mother and one from the father). DNA testing is a a test to identify and evaluate the genetic information called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in a person’s cell.

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Is she preganant?

No man believes they will one day need to take a paternity test.  When it finally happens, it is a humbling experience.  When she says those words, “I am pregnant” It elicits a barrage of emotions.  If you are not in a strong, happy relationship doubt may creep into you mind.  From there, you begin to recall every sexual encounter you had with her in the last couple months.

Sperm went through panties?

Some call it “bump and grind”.  Being the horn ball you are I am guessing you were buck naked and she had her panties on.  I would go so far to say in all my years of DNA paternity testing I have never heard of a girl getting pregnant while wearing panties.  However, theoretically it is possible.  Cotton, satin and silk panties are very porous and sperm would easily travel through into the vagina. 

Can precum get a girl pregnant?

If it is only precum, no.  Sperm are formed and stored in the testes, while precum is made far from the testicals in the bulbourethral gland, aka Cowper’s gland.  I have had this argument with so many people I can’t count.  At some point in their life they recall a doctor, professor or sex ed teacher tell them otherwise.  This is when I pull out a diagram of the reproduction track and ask how this is possible.  If you have ever heard stories of someone that got pregnant this way then ejaculation occurred at some point.  It is possible for some men to ejaculate a small amount of semen and barely be able to feel the climax.  The only other possibility is that ejaculation occurred prior to penetration and sperm were still in the urinary tract. 

Can I get pregnant the first time I have sex?

Oh yeah.  This happens all the time.  Young girls are extremely fertile.  This is the way nature designed it.  It wasn’t up until the past couple hundred years that woman waited until their mid to late twenties to begin to have children. 

Can a girl get pregnant while on the pill?

Although unlikely, yes.  Used correctly there is still a very minute chance she will get pregnant.  Used incorrectly and the chance of pregnancy will be dependant on a variety of factors such as where she is in her cycle.

DNA Paternity Testing in Plano

Based on many factors including affordability, credibility of DNA laboratory, speed of results, and anonymity we suggest Any Lab Test Now®.  You can follow the links in the top right corner of this blog to find a location nearest you.

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Are you looking for a low cost paternity test?  DNA services had costs in the thousands about a decade ago.  As DNA processing equipment has become more affordable there have been many “cheapies” pop up all over the internet, but how reliable are these cheap paternity tests?  Our research says to educate yourself on your options before paying. 

Home Paternity Tests

I located one on the internet two months ago for $15.  Considering this is the main topic of my blog I was going to test out this supplier and write a free review.  Possibly even endorse them.  Ordering the test was simple enough and it showed up on my doorstep within a few days.  The actual cost was more around $79 counting all processing fees, shipping and handling.  I followed the collection process to the letter, shipped off my samples and waited…  and waited… and waited…  Nothing.  The website was still on the internet and they were still advertising DNA Paternity Tests for $15; however, the sales rep put me in a voice-mail loop.  I never reached anyone that could answer my questions, and everyone forwarded me to the actual person I should be talking to.  Six transfers later I get a promise the next person will have all the answers to my questions.  Sadly, that person is out of the office and I am asked to leave a voicemail.  I have called many times since and never get anywhere.  My suggestion, stay away from cheap, under $199 DNA tests. 

Fees, Fees, Fees, and more Fees

Why stay away from sub-$199 DNA tests?  Let me explain with one word.  Fees.  I have yet to find one DNA paternity test for less that $199 that is credible.  Oh there are plenty that are listed for less, but they just tack on fees later.  Collection fees, transfer fees, shipping, handling, packaging, etc.  You name it and they have a fee for it.  Your very first question when choosing a DNA laboratory is to ask what the final cost is after all fees.  I suggest doing a Google search for your local area.  Dallas and North Dallas residents should use Any Lab Test Now® in North Dallas.  Not only are they the best cost, you will get your results in 2 days and absolutely no fees. 

How accurate is a cheap paternity test?

A good DNA laboratory will check each sample twice to verify accuracy.  The number one reason for a wrong DNA test occurs during the collection of the sample.  This is the reason you should only get a medically certified person wearing gloves to get your DNA sample.  Low cost paternity testing labs usually are low cost because they cut out the collection expense as well as double checking the samples.  The reason these scammers get away with cutting these costs is they can use “perfect scenario” statistics on their advertising.  For example, in a perfect scenario where the collection is not screwed up then the test is 99.99% accurate.  Pretty sleazy huh?  These guys are betting that you are not educated on the matter.

So how much should I pay?

North Dallas’ Any Lab Test Now® charges $199 and I have to admit this is a fair price.  You may be able to find several places that charge less, but chances are you will go to Any Lab Test Now® to have your collection done.  I would say the overall sweet spot for accurate, low cost paternity tests to be in the $175-$225 price range.  One year ago I would have said $250, but DNA processing has become more efficient as an entire industry and thereby lowered the market value of a DNA paternity test.

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Not counting identical twins, two individuals having the same genetic DNA is one in several billion. There has never been a documented case of two individuals with identical DNA. When it comes to DNA tests for paternity the mistakes most often occur due to human error during the collection process. This blog will focus on some of these mistakes what can be done to help make sure these don’t happen.

Am I the Father?

The most common mistake made when performing a DNA collection for paternity is improper or falsified sample collection of specimens.  This may be either intentional or unintentional.  This is one reason why using a certified, accredited DNA laboratory where the DNA collection is performed by a licensed, trained medical personnel. Samples should be collected, labeled and cross-referenced throughout the entire process.

Each person should be processed separately to avoid this mistake. Additionally, many DNA tests are performed with more than one sample and results are checked independent of each other. For example, a paternity test collected from the suspected father is usually performed in such a way that at least two independent tests using two distinct samples are performed. When a match is found further testing is done to isolate through the use of genetic probes more bands from both the child’s and the father’s DNA to further verify the accuracy of the test.

A “Court Ordered” or “Chain of Custody” DNA test may be requested.  These tests combat intentional and unintentional DNA collection mistakes by setting strict standards and guidelines during the genetic tissue collection process.  This may involve taking a photograph at the time of collection, independently collecting the samples and the collection being performed by a licensed DNA collector.

Correctly collected, DNA testing is 99.999% accurate according to statistics released by the American Medical Association. Each individual has their own unique DNA code that is unlike anyone else on earth. Children derive their DNA from a 50/50 mix of chromosomes from bother the biological mother and biological father. For this reason it is easy to identify the biological parents of anyone as long as DNA samples are available from the child, mother and father.

Apart from DNA collection mistakes and identical twins having the same identical DNA there is only one other reason a DNA may be inaccurate. Chimerism occurs when potential fraternal twins merge early during embryonic development while in the womb.   The DNA in the testes or sperm in these instances may differ from DNA in other parts of the father’s body.  If the DNA results indicate the man is not the father and chimerism is a possibility than collecting a DNA sample from the sperm would be the only way to determine if the man is the genetic father.

A positive DNA paternity test is bullet-proof and decisive. It is the silent witness that knows all when others may not be telling the truth. In every court of law in the United States DNA testing is accepted as 100% factual evidence to establish paternity when conducted properly.

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Believe it or not DNA tests are not as accurate as they claim to be.  Chimerism is defined as one individual having two completely different sets of DNA.  How common chirmerism occurs is completely unknown and statistics quoted in textbooks or on websites are completely fictitious.

DNA Chimera Rape

An episode Maury Povich the other day completely humiliated a young woman who was 100% sure this particular man was the father of her child.  After 30 minutes of yelling, stories, pointing fingers and drama the DNA proved that there was a 99.9% chance he was not the father of the child.  The young woman stared at the floor in shame.  The next lady on Maury was having the fourth man tested and the DNA test proved he wasn’t the father either.  This TV show led me to write this article on chimera and how misleading a DNA test can be. 

How is it possible for one person to carry two sets of completely different DNA?

Although many say that it is rare the truth is we have no clue how often it happens.  With so many couples taking fertility drugs it is probably more common.  When a sperm fertilizes an egg the cells start multiplying and the cluster of cells is called a zygote.  If a woman produces more than one egg and both get fertilized than more than one zygote is formed and the woman may eventually have twins, triplets, etc.  I say “may” because if two zygotes merge than the child formed is called a chimera.  The appearance of a chimera is identical to a normal child.  When the zygotes merged they begin to act as one and start making organs and body parts.  The result is an individual who is a genetic mosaic of body parts. 

There are documented rape cases of men whose semen did not match their DNA.

Our court system puts a great weight on DNA evidence.  The other day I watched a local Dallas news station report how DNA evidence led to the release of a man who had served 8 years of his prison sentence for rape. 

Recently there was an episode of CSI where a man was raping women without a condom or a mask covering his face.  They put him in a line up and he was picked by the woman whom he had raped. They tested his DNA and it did not match the rape kit so they let him go. The DNA was close but no match so they interviewed his brothers and it was none of them either. Eventually the lead CSI, Grissom saw the lines on the guys back like in that picture and he took a blood sample which matched the rape kit. Turned out his sperm did not have the same DNA as his blood and skin.

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