Different kinds of DNA tests

There are many different types of DNA tests, more than you might think. All these tests work slightly differently and usually reveal something completely different. For this reason, it is important to know the difference. You can easily find out, just read this blog. After reading this blog you will know exactly the difference between the different tests you see in a commercial.

Home test

DNA home test kits are actually exactly what the name suggests. It is a test that you do at home. This is usually done by taking a saliva sample, but a blood sample is also possible. You then send this sample in the prescribed manner to a laboratory and they check your DNA. They check it for what you indicate you want. For example for paternity if you have bought a home paternity test. In that case you also have to send in a DNA sample from your child.

Legal paternity test

A legal paternity test is a specific type of paternity test in the DNA tests. It is intended to establish legal paternity. You provide a blood or saliva sample, whichever you prefer. Your (presumed) child does as well. The child can do this if he or she wants to or when he or she is at the age where the mother can decide. Both samples are then sent to the lab and compared. Since DNA is hereditary, the child (if it is really your child) will have some of the mother’s DNA and some of yours. If the lab shows that there is a match, then you are the father. If not, you are almost certainly not the father. These tests are incredibly accurate, about 99.9999%. So the chance of you getting a false positive or false negative is extremely small.

Health DNA test

There are many diseases that are hereditary. You can therefore sometimes see in your DNA whether a disease is present, or whether you have inherited that particular genetic material that contains that disease. A diagnostic test can be done to determine whether someone has an inherited disease. A carrier test can also be done, which is different. In any case, medicine has made enormous strides with the use of DNA in the heredity of diseases. It can be a bit scary to do such a test, but if you are early, it may be possible to do something about it/suppress it.