Over the counter DNA test...

[Blaumba]

Has been on the news this morning that there is now a DNA test kit available over the counter. From what I gather you still have to send it off but it does make DNA testing much more available. They also said that as many as 1 in 25 fathers are bringing up babies that aren't theirs unawares.
Me and OH were talking about it and he was saying that for a lot of dads it will bring peace of mind because as a male you never know for certain 100% that a baby is yours because you didn't carry or give birth to it. (There is no doubt about my LO as he is the double of his dad.) But a lot of people out there do have an element of doubt and now they will be able to pop to boots and for a much cheaper fee be able to find out for sure.
I think that it is gonna wreck a LOT of happy familys and that the company providing it must have known what a money spinner it will be, especially when they throw in the "1 in 25" line! Even if paternity goes the way expected your left feeling untrusted by your partner for asking to have one. Goodness knows what will happen if a test comes back showing that the man that has been bringing up a child isn't the real father..?? I see many of them walking out, leaving what was a previously happy family unit in pieces.

Any thoughts?

 

[KittyVentura]

I think it's great to make it so available but I can't believe that there are that many scummy women out there who'd let a man raise a baby that they know or doubt is theirs!

 

[lolababes]

It'll put Jezza out of business

No on a more serious note I agree with you, it has potential to destroy families. What if a dad has doubts and does a test behind the mums back or something or vice versa??

I think I would be offended if DH wanted one for any of ours.

 

[LulaBug]

I fully support this. I think men have an unfair ride in some cases. I mean, it's easy for a woman to say "This baby is yours" and for the most part it's true, but if a man is in that much doubt and wishes to be sure, although it might seem shocking and knock the wind out of your sails, it's better to let him do the test to find out for his peace of mind so he doesn't spend however many years wondering about it. It's not fair on anyone to live that kind of life.

 

[Blaumba]

I fully support this. I think men have an unfair ride in some cases. I mean, it's easy for a woman to say "This baby is yours" and for the most part it's true, but if a man is in that much doubt and wishes to be sure, although it might seem shocking and knock the wind out of your sails, it's better to let him do the test to find out for his peace of mind so he doesn't spend however many years wondering about it. It's not fair on anyone to live that kind of life.

I agree that for those who have always had an element of doubt it's a good thing but I worry that the very existance and undoubted advertising of these new ones will place doubt where there previously wasn't any. Bringing all sorts of issues that weren't there, even if it shows the dad to be the dad, the woman is then left feeling mistrusted etc..

 

[daisii]

I think it is a good thing! The statistic has gone up, it used to be 1 in 30!!!! I remember because that is roughly one child in each class at school! And I used to teach biology and genetics, it terrified me that one of them might work out that their dad was not their dad from eye colour!!!!

 

[Red Rose]

OMG at 1 in 25! I find that quite shocking... I don't think I could ever live with myself if I was in a situation where my OH was not the father of my baby and he didn't know it.

Think this may open a big can of worms however positive it is that the tests are now more widely available. Like mentioned previously, it'll ruin trust in a lot of relationships & LOL at putting Jezza out of business!!

 

[modo]

This is a good thing! Its really horrible to lie to some one about paternity I would never be able to live with myself

 

[Lellow]

I wonder what Mr Kyle will make of this

 

[Dopeyjopey]

It's a good thing. If my OH asked me for a DNA test I would be more than happy to get one done. We were only together a month before i fell pregnant, but even if it had been longer i still wouldn't mind.

When i was pregnant i kept dreaming my baby got swapped in hospital and it really got to me. I was fully prepared to have one done if he was out of my site just after he was born! Essentially, they hand over their sperm and just have to trust that it made a baby

 

[Blaumba]

You see I do believe that not all the men raising babies that aren't theirs have been duped by the mums. I think that sometimes they will be as shocked as the dads upon finding out. I know some poeple will say "you must have known" but I think some won't.

I also had another thought..
That this will also have implications for older children, adults and adopted children who have had questions over paternity. For example, I was told my blood group is O neg during a procedure some years back, when I said to my mum "oh yeah, did you know I'm I'm O neg?" she said "You can't be, cos I am pos and so is daddy.. Are you sure?". Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I know that to have my blood type at least one of the parents has to have the same! She brushed it off and said she must have got it wrong about my dad being positive etc.. But it got me thinking, do I actually look like my dad or is it more expressions I pull rather than actual similarities in features..? I decieded I didn't wanna know even if he wasn't because I am so so close to him and it would break both our hearts if he wasn't my dad. I didn't even wanna press my mum further in case she "fessed up". I left it a long while before I asked her again, I said "is there ANY doubt at all because your response over the whole blood type thing baffled me?? I don't mind but would like to know" she assured me that he is 100% my dad and that he MUST be O neg like me. I believed her but wouldn't wanna know my dads blood type just in case! I guess if I didn't LOVE my dad the way I do or get on with him I might seek to find out as I'm sure some will.
Also children who think they might be adopted can now put their parents on the spot a bit and demand a test.. Not sure if this is a good thing really. As someone else said, can of worms spings to mind!

 

[daisii]

You see I do believe that not all the men raising babies that aren't theirs have been duped by the mums. I think that sometimes they will be as shocked as the dads upon finding out. I know some poeple will say "you must have known" but I think some won't.

I also had another thought..
That this will also have implications for older children, adults and adopted children who have had questions over paternity. For example, I was told my blood group is O neg during a procedure some years back, when I said to my mum "oh yeah, did you know I'm I'm O neg?" she said "You can't be, cos I am pos and so is daddy.. Are you sure?". Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I know that to have my blood type at least one of the parents has to have the same! She brushed it off and said she must have got it wrong about my dad being positive etc.. But it got me thinking, do I actually look like my dad or is it more expressions I pull rather than actual similarities in features..? I decieded I didn't wanna know even if he wasn't because I am so so close to him and it would break both our hearts if he wasn't my dad. I didn't even wanna press my mum further in case she "fessed up". I left it a long while before I asked her again, I said "is there ANY doubt at all because your response over the whole blood type thing baffled me?? I don't mind but would like to know" she assured me that he is 100% my dad and that he MUST be O neg like me. I believed her but wouldn't wanna know my dads blood type just in case! I guess if I didn't LOVE my dad the way I do or get on with him I might seek to find out as I'm sure some will.
Also children who think they might be adopted can now put their parents on the spot a bit and demand a test.. Not sure if this is a good thing really. As someone else said, can of worms spings to mind!

It is genetically possible for both parents to be positive and the child to be negative. the +ve is dominant, and you carry two copies of every gene, so both your parents carry the dominant +ve gene and a recessive -ve gene. They present as +ve because it is dominant, but you inherited the recessive -ve gene from each parent so you are -ve. You had a 25% chance of being -ve.

 

[mummyclo]

I think if there is any doubt the man should be told
If i were a man i would not like to bring up someone elses baby unknowingly! I don't know how anyone could do that to their OH!
I think it is a good thing

 

[Blaumba]

You see I do believe that not all the men raising babies that aren't theirs have been duped by the mums. I think that sometimes they will be as shocked as the dads upon finding out. I know some poeple will say "you must have known" but I think some won't.

I also had another thought..
That this will also have implications for older children, adults and adopted children who have had questions over paternity. For example, I was told my blood group is O neg during a procedure some years back, when I said to my mum "oh yeah, did you know I'm I'm O neg?" she said "You can't be, cos I am pos and so is daddy.. Are you sure?". Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I know that to have my blood type at least one of the parents has to have the same! She brushed it off and said she must have got it wrong about my dad being positive etc.. But it got me thinking, do I actually look like my dad or is it more expressions I pull rather than actual similarities in features..? I decieded I didn't wanna know even if he wasn't because I am so so close to him and it would break both our hearts if he wasn't my dad. I didn't even wanna press my mum further in case she "fessed up". I left it a long while before I asked her again, I said "is there ANY doubt at all because your response over the whole blood type thing baffled me?? I don't mind but would like to know" she assured me that he is 100% my dad and that he MUST be O neg like me. I believed her but wouldn't wanna know my dads blood type just in case! I guess if I didn't LOVE my dad the way I do or get on with him I might seek to find out as I'm sure some will.
Also children who think they might be adopted can now put their parents on the spot a bit and demand a test.. Not sure if this is a good thing really. As someone else said, can of worms spings to mind!

It is genetically possible for both parents to be positive and the child to be negative. the +ve is dominant, and you carry two copies of every gene, so both your parents carry the dominant +ve gene and a recessive -ve gene. They present as +ve because it is dominant, but you inherited the recessive -ve gene from each parent so you are -ve. You had a 25% chance of being -ve.

Wow.. thanks so much for that!! I didn't know it was possible! I feel quite relieved now and won't feel the need to shut my eyes should a medical document containing my dads blood type pass before me!!

 

[ttc_lolly]

It'll put Jezza out of business

No on a more serious note I agree with you, it has potential to destroy families. What if a dad has doubts and does a test behind the mums back or something or vice versa??

I think I would be offended if DH wanted one for any of ours.

Hahahaha this is EXACTLY what I was about to write!!!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I'm not sure I support this, I would have concerns about the consequences, there is more to being a father than biology and it is very sad to think of a father who wasn't a biological one walking out upon finding this out, devastating a child and breaking up a happy family.

I must say though I don't know a lot about the subject of paternity tests etc, do they usually require both parties to have counselling etc beforehand or not?

 

[xnmd1]

You see I do believe that not all the men raising babies that aren't theirs have been duped by the mums. I think that sometimes they will be as shocked as the dads upon finding out. I know some poeple will say "you must have known" but I think some won't.

I also had another thought..
That this will also have implications for older children, adults and adopted children who have had questions over paternity. For example, I was told my blood group is O neg during a procedure some years back, when I said to my mum "oh yeah, did you know I'm I'm O neg?" she said "You can't be, cos I am pos and so is daddy.. Are you sure?". Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I know that to have my blood type at least one of the parents has to have the same! She brushed it off and said she must have got it wrong about my dad being positive etc.. But it got me thinking, do I actually look like my dad or is it more expressions I pull rather than actual similarities in features..? I decieded I didn't wanna know even if he wasn't because I am so so close to him and it would break both our hearts if he wasn't my dad. I didn't even wanna press my mum further in case she "fessed up". I left it a long while before I asked her again, I said "is there ANY doubt at all because your response over the whole blood type thing baffled me?? I don't mind but would like to know" she assured me that he is 100% my dad and that he MUST be O neg like me. I believed her but wouldn't wanna know my dads blood type just in case! I guess if I didn't LOVE my dad the way I do or get on with him I might seek to find out as I'm sure some will.
Also children who think they might be adopted can now put their parents on the spot a bit and demand a test.. Not sure if this is a good thing really. As someone else said, can of worms spings to mind!

It is genetically possible for both parents to be positive and the child to be negative. the +ve is dominant, and you carry two copies of every gene, so both your parents carry the dominant +ve gene and a recessive -ve gene. They present as +ve because it is dominant, but you inherited the recessive -ve gene from each parent so you are -ve. You had a 25% chance of being -ve.

was just going to say .. both my parents are positive, i'm negative .. but it never gave me any doubt they wern't my parents!

 

[Blaumba]

You see I do believe that not all the men raising babies that aren't theirs have been duped by the mums. I think that sometimes they will be as shocked as the dads upon finding out. I know some poeple will say "you must have known" but I think some won't.

I also had another thought..
That this will also have implications for older children, adults and adopted children who have had questions over paternity. For example, I was told my blood group is O neg during a procedure some years back, when I said to my mum "oh yeah, did you know I'm I'm O neg?" she said "You can't be, cos I am pos and so is daddy.. Are you sure?". Alarm bells started ringing in my head as I know that to have my blood type at least one of the parents has to have the same! She brushed it off and said she must have got it wrong about my dad being positive etc.. But it got me thinking, do I actually look like my dad or is it more expressions I pull rather than actual similarities in features..? I decieded I didn't wanna know even if he wasn't because I am so so close to him and it would break both our hearts if he wasn't my dad. I didn't even wanna press my mum further in case she "fessed up". I left it a long while before I asked her again, I said "is there ANY doubt at all because your response over the whole blood type thing baffled me?? I don't mind but would like to know" she assured me that he is 100% my dad and that he MUST be O neg like me. I believed her but wouldn't wanna know my dads blood type just in case! I guess if I didn't LOVE my dad the way I do or get on with him I might seek to find out as I'm sure some will.
Also children who think they might be adopted can now put their parents on the spot a bit and demand a test.. Not sure if this is a good thing really. As someone else said, can of worms spings to mind!

It is genetically possible for both parents to be positive and the child to be negative. the +ve is dominant, and you carry two copies of every gene, so both your parents carry the dominant +ve gene and a recessive -ve gene. They present as +ve because it is dominant, but you inherited the recessive -ve gene from each parent so you are -ve. You had a 25% chance of being -ve.

was just going to say .. both my parents are positive, i'm negative .. but it never gave me any doubt they wern't my parents!

I only had a doubt because I was told by the docs at the time that I had to have an O neg parent to be O neg myself. Then my mum (who is a nurse) said the same when I told her I was O neg. Didn't bother to google as I trusted that these HP knew what they were on about.. haha
Should have asked a biologist!

 

[bloodbinds]

Hopefully it will put off any woman thinking of lying to the 'dad' in the first place!!

 

[bloodbinds]

You see I do believe that not all the men raising babies that aren't theirs have been duped by the mums. I think that sometimes they will be as shocked as the dads upon finding out. I know some poeple will say "you must have known" but I think some won't

Yeah but unless you are really stupid, then you must know there is a chance of another man being the father.

If you have sex with two diffferent men around the same time and the next month you are pregnant, doesn't take a genius to think 'bugger, it could be either of them' - there might be only a small chance it was the other one if you slept with him two weeks after the other or something, but you still know there is a small chance.
Unless you really don't understand how cycles work etc, then you might be forgiven for not 'knowing'