Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are there different tests for different uses?

A: There are tests that are legally admissible in court and there are self-collected or home tests that are not admissible in court. The "sample collection," "lab processing" and "PhD analysis" are exactly the same. The difference between the tests is that the legally admissible test is AABB approved and requires an impartial third party witness to the collection and chain of custody procedures.

Q: How are the samples collected?

A: The inside of the cheek of each person being tested is gently wiped with a soft cotton swab. Because almost every cell in a person's body contains his or her unique DNA, swabbing a cheek is a safe, easy way to collect the sample. Each sample is then sealed in its own envelope, labeled for identification purposes and sent to the lab for processing.

Q: Why DNA analysis?

A: DNA is the most powerful identity test currently available for paternity testing.

Q: What is a paternity or parentage test?

A: It is a genetic (DNA) test, performed to determine if a man is the biological father of a certain child. If the test shows that the alleged father is not the biological father of the child, he is said to be excluded. If the test shows that the alleged father cannot be excluded, he is said to be included and a likelihood of paternity is then calculated. If this likelihood is 99% or higher, then the man is determined to be the legal father.

Q: Are the tests accurate?

A: Extremely accurate. The DNA test is designed to protect men who are truly not the biological father of the child in question. We test to a probability of 99% or higher - 100% in the case of exclusions.