Are home paternity tests accurate?
On One Hand: Home Paternity Tests are 99.9% AccurateAccording to Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN, if done accurately (collecting DNA via mouth swabs from the child, the mom and the possible dad), home paternity tests, which rely on about 15 genetic markers, are 99.9 percent accurate. The collected swab samples are sent off to a lab and results come back in three to five days.On the Other: Home Paternity Tests Aren’t RegulatedWhile 99.9 percent accuracy sounds pretty good to most people, the FDA does not regulate home paternity tests. So although the manufacturers of these products claim to be using the sames tests that the legal system has relied on for years, no independent agency has attempted to verify this claim or regulate the product.Bottom LineIf performed correctly, a home paternity test can probably give you a pretty accurate answer regarding the father of a particular child.
