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Home DNA Testing Kits

17 February 2011

You may have read in the press recently that Boots the Chemist is intending to sell kits over the counter. Until now, paternity packs have only been available online or with a few independent providers.

You may have read in the press recently that Boots the Chemist is intending to sell kits over the counter. Until now, paternity packs have only been available online or with a few independent providers. Is this a good thing? The answers may not be so simple. At first glance, it can be argued that it will quickly, cheaply and easily establish paternity. There are however other issues which need to be considered. Can the test be tampered with and truly relied upon and can you be sure that the “correct” person has taken the test? Care needs to be given about how a person might feel if the results do not go their way. People considering taking a test need to know that the result of such a home testing kit will not be accepted by a court in England and Wales. Further, the CSA will not accept the results of a home testing kit and would require a test from an approved provider with an approved doctor. Taking someone’s DNA without permission is illegal. Are home DNA kits really going to help or are they likely to simply cause additional problems?