DNA Testing - How DNA Testing and Paternity Testing Home Kits are Exposing Infidelity

Affairs and situations involving alleged infidelity usually have allegations and defences and counter-allegations. The victimized partner often wishes there was a way to get iron-clad evidence to establish the infidelity of a partner. With DNA testing technology, getting such an evidence is simpler and easier than ever. If you want to check if your spouse has been cheating on you, it may be as simple as sending their soiled underwear to a DNA testing company. A professional DNA testing company can check the underwear for the presence of another person's genetic material. You can have iron-clad evidence that your partner has been cheating.

If you suspect a particular woman of cheating with your husband and want to nail her, you can obtain a lock of hair or a piece of chewing gum she's thrown out or a coffee cup she's used or even a hat that's been worn for sometime, and get her DNA analyzed and matched. If you suspect that your spouse has a love-child from a previous relationship, a paternity test can provide evidence that is admissible in the court of law.

TIP: Read the guide to prevent a break up or get back with your ex.

There are many DNA testing firms that test the DNA of a person without his or her knowledge. Discreet paternity tests can help a man determine whether he is the father of a child. No one else finds out about such a test. A woman can find out if a particular man is the father of her child if she has been involved with more than one man and is unsure. All of these often leads to broken marriages and a split in relationships but then a relationship founded on a lie is often destined to end this way.

A San Diego based company, Test Country offers home kits for testing DNA. The paternity tests offered by Test Country can establish conclusively whether the alleged father of a child is truly the father. They conduct DNA tests using 16 genetic markers and back their results with their DNA Paternity Testing Accuracy Guarantee. Test Country has a laboratory accredited by the AABB and the College of American Pathologists Proficiency Testing as a Parentage Testing laboratory. They also offer a a court-admissible version of our Home Test Kit for a small additional charge. Results take 3-5 business days. They also offer maternity testing kits useful in situations where an adopted baby and mother are reunited and want to confirm their biological relationship. Other services they offer including Avuncular Home Testing to confirm the biological relationshiop between a grand parent and grand child. Similarly you can confirm the biological connection between any two individuals - siblings or twins or any relatives for immigration purposes.

DNA testing firms indicate that thousands of such tests are carried out every year in USA alone. Such tests are illegal in UK and some states of USA but there are no laws in many countries to prohibit DNA testing or discreet paternity tests. Even in USA, there hasn't been any attempt to use the laws that exist against the DNA testing firms, so far.

Paternity tests and their results can have devastating effects on families. Many marriages can break down and children can be victimized. Husbands who find out they have been raising someone else's child may want a divorce. Many believe that being a part of infidelity shouldn't take away the privacy and rights of a person and discreet paternity testing should be dealt with firmly. Paternity tests however continue unabated. In the United States little has been done to rein in the practise of DNA testing without consent. Barring laws in a few states which are not enforced strictly, most states don't have any laws against this practice.

A few states in USA do have laws on DNA testing without consent. In Alaska DNA testing without consent is banned and punishable with upto 1 year in jail and a fine of upto $10,000. Civil right of action for damages are possible. The law does not cover paternity tests. Florida punishes DNA testing without consent with upto 1 year in jail and a fine of upto $5,000. Minnesota prohibits DNA testing without consent but the punishment is not specified. New Hampshire and New Mexico permit civil right of action for damages for DNA testing without consent. New Jersey punished the crime with upto 6 months in jail and a fine of upto $1000.New York punishes DNA testing without consent with a jail term upto 90 days, a fine of $5000 and civil right of action for damages. Oregon punishes DNA testing without consent with upto 1 year in jail, a fine of upto $6250 and civil right of action for damages.

In UK, the ban came in as a result of a fear among the celebrities of the media using DNA analysis to embarass them. In 2002 there was an alleged attempt to steal a lock of hair of Prince Harry to determine if he was the son of James Hewitt, a former lover of Princess Diana. SInce September 2006 taking human bodily material with the intent of analyzing the DNA, without consent has been a crime punishable with a sentence of upto 3 years and a fine. Australia and Germany are considering introducing similar strict laws.

Despite the laws in USA, little has been done to enforce these laws. There is also no federal law to clarify the right of people to privacy with regard to 'Abandoned' DNA. Many companies continue to offer DNA testing services and people continue to get the DNA analyzed without consent of the person. Stealth DNA testing is seen as a small percentage of the total DNA testing market. According to Brand Cassidy of DNA Solutions in Oklahoma quoted in New Scientist magaqzine, less than 5% of the 500 tests run by his firm every year involve DNA from items such as chewing gum and drinking glasses.