DNA testing kits hit the high street
November 19, 2009
Paternity testing kits have now become available for the first time on the high street. Although they have been available to buy from internet sites for a number of years now the launch of over-the-counter kits is a cause for concern say some experts. The kits cost £30.00 and contains six swabs that can be used to take cell samples from inside the cheek. These samples can then be sent off to a lab where for an additional £119.00 they can be tested and the results made available within a week.
Ethical groups say that the availability of such tests could end up tearing families apart and cause children to suffer. At the moment it is illegal to take DNA from an adult without consent. However for a child the consent of only one parent is needed to take a DNA sample. This could mean that fathers who have doubts about a child’s legitimacy could send off samples legally without the mother of the child having to be made aware. A spokesperson for the Human Genetics Commission said that they were worried that tests by post could end up encouraging DNA theft as the labs will have no real idea as to whether the samples were taken legally or illegally.
A spokesman for International Biosciences who make the kits says that they take the implications of DNA testing very seriously and had already contacted a number of groups over the issue. They defend their tests by saying that DNA testing can be very unreliable and that they wanted to provide a service that gave solid guarantees to its customers.
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