Newest Trend: Over the Counter Paternity Tests
By Anna Boyd
16:54, March 27th 2008
50 votes
Vote this story
Newest Trend: Over the Counter Paternity Tests

A DNA paternity test worth less than $150, with confidential results available within days from a lab, is the first to be sold over the counter and promises to offer “peace of mind” to those who need it.

Utah-based Identigene offers the over-the-counter DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit which costs about $30.

Each paternity kit provides only one test result; the baby, mother and supposed father must each collect a sample by rubbing a cotton swab on the inside of a cheek for 30 seconds.

The cotton swabs are mailed in sealed plastic bags and sent along with a signed consent form and a $119 fee to the lab that does the testing. It only takes a few days to find out who the father is and, provided that the information listed on the form is correct, they are 99.9 percent accurate.

The kits were test-marketed in Rite Aid stores in Washington, Oregon and California starting in November. Rite Aid initially bought 10,000 kits for the test and then ordered 10,000 more for all of its stores, except those in New York, where state law requires a court order or medical prescription, Douglas Fogg, chief operating officer of Sorenson Genomics, parent company of Identigene, told the Salt lake Tribune.

Fogg also told the Tribune that in informal survey conducted by Identigene found that about 60 percent of purchasers were women and most of the buyers were in their 20s. Fogg said he believes about 30 percent of the kits were bought for someone else who had a paternity issue. He added that many purchasers were adults who were still uncertain about who their parents are.

While the kit’s test results are not admissible in court, they are a potential comfort for people who only want “peace of mind for people who are curious and really want to know,” Fogg told the Washington Times.

Identigene also offers legally valid tests for approximately $350.

Fogg added for the Salt Lake Tribune that his company’s laboratory is accredited for crime scene processing and by the American Association of Blood Banks, which set standards for handling and processing samples.



© 2007 - 2008 - eFluxMedia
Share the News:
Del.icio.us Digg Stumble Upon Facebook Newsvine Mixx
dotclear

Other News in

Onyx and Bayer Preparing for Liver Cancer Trial of Nexavar

Onyx and Bayer Preparing for Liver Cancer Trial of Nexavar

Although already approved for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, Nexavar will be the subject of a late stage trial aimed at approving the promising drug as a post-surgery treatment for...

New Weapons in Obesity Fight

New Weapons in Obesity Fight

The origins of brown fat cells that could help fight obesity have been revealed. Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have recently discovered that there’s a “good” protein...

Stem Cells May Lead to the Making of Blood Farms

Stem Cells May Lead to the Making of Blood Farms

On Tuesday, a team of researchers from Advanced Cell Technology in Massachusetts released the results of a new stem cell oriented study. As it turns out, with the help of embryonic stem cells, red...

Addiction Drug Also Efficient in Weight Loss

Addiction Drug Also Efficient in Weight Loss

A trial conducted on lab mice showed that vigabatrin, a drug currently tested against cocaine and methamphetamine addiction across the US, lead to rapid weight loss and reduced appetite, a...

Getting Rid Of Your Cholesterol Might Not Cause You Cancer

Getting Rid Of Your Cholesterol Might Not Cause You Cancer

Even though a study conducted last year announced that there might be connection between cholesterol-lowering drugs and cancer, a closer look on the issue concluded that such an association is...

dotclear
Latest videos in Health
HealthWatch
Allergy Attacks At School
Breakthrough For Flu Research
Foreclosures Leading to New...
Heaviest man wants to lose...

dotclear
Health You are here: Health
» Science   » Health   
E-mail To A Friend Print RSS Text size: Decrease font size Increase font size
dotclear
dotclear
dotclear
Most Popular in Health
Study: Arsenic In Drinking Water Could Lead To DiabetesStudy: Arsenic In Drinking Water Could Lead To Diabetes

» read full story
dotclear

Interested In This Topic?

News Alert will keep you informed. Find out more.
dotclear
Photos Gallery
dotclear
Today's Latest News
Steve Coogan's Hamlet 2  Hits The U.SSteve Coogan's Hamlet 2 Hits The U.S

» read full story
dotclear