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I'm leafing through the coupon inserts of my local Sunday paper and am taken aback by an ad - and coupon - for a home paternity test. Really? You can now determine the paternity of your child in the privacy of your own home? Why do I find this so disturbing ... especially given my own exposure to paternity testing after my son was born?
Maybe it's the idea that we've now got yet another "tool" to bail us out when we've been a bit ... well ... irresponsible? Nah ...
Maybe it's the idea that for $29.99 ($24.99 with the coupon), a little coercion, and a $119 lab processing fee, you can have some certainty of who should be paying child support? Nah ...
What really bothers me about this is that drugstore DNA testing seems to bring up some serious questions regarding social ethics.
You see, these tests aren't legally binding (although for an additional $200 you can get a test that is admissible in court) so in actuality, they address social issues, not legal issues. Social issues that can have a serious impact on the individuals involved.
What about the potential for fraud and deception? Would it be possible to get a sample from someone without their knowledge? Sure it would, and that brings about issues surrounding informed consent.
And what happens to the people? The father who finds out they've been raising a child that isn't biologically theirs? The child who discovers the man they've assumed was their father is not their father at all? Is there a $29.99 family counseling "companion kit" available?
I understand that we all have the potential to make choices with severe, lifelong consequences, and I certainly understand the need to know the paternity of a child, but shouldn't we be addressing these real issues in our society - working towards preventing them - rather than looking for the $29.99 bail out?
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25 comments:
Reminds me of a funny story.. My favorite nephew drives up one day, unloading a kid out of a car seat.. He says "Unlce Dick, the blood test came back, and this is my son, Kenny".. I look at the kid, and ask "How much was the test?" "200 bucks".. I go into the bedroom, get a picture of my nephew at the same age, show it to him and said "Why did you waste the money?" Spittin' image of his Dad!
Someone is always looking for a way to make a buck. I agree, there areway too many "what ifs" with this type of thing. It'll probably show up on Jerry Springer. pfft..
I am concered by that and also of the home HIV tests.
Yeah, like an on the phone counselor is going to be a big help in this kind of situation.
My nephew's mom used to sleep with anything that moved at night then was church lady during the day so she would never tell her son who his father was.
My wife gave him an idea of who it might be so he tracked him down and the dude took my nephew to the clinic to get a paternity test..along with three other kids he was currently raising.
They all came back positive. To his credit he is now paying for my nephews college and bought him a truck to help make upo for lost time.
So home paternity tests might not be all that bad of an idea.
A DNA Paternity test does involve social issues but if you are taking it and paying that kind of money there is already a problem. Finding the truth is what the test offers and I think everyone deserves that.
I for one am glad they have come up with this. I get tired of going to a doctor's office 3 or 4 times a week because yet another woman has said that I am the father of her kid.
"Is there a $29.99 family counseling "companion kit" available?" Ha. Good One.
Cheers Dana!!
Buff, that is a good story, yet I've known many a parent who refuse to base acknowledgment of paternity on anything other than DNA testing - even when paternity is "clear."
tt, I don't deny there is (unfortunately) a need for DNA testing, I just find it somewhat disconcerting that you can go to your local Wallgreens for a DIY kit.
ASM, yeah .. see? I just think this brings up even more potential issues than the lack of proof of paternity.
Maury Povich is going to sue them because they are going to steal his livelihood....
Hammer, I do understand the need for paternity tests - maybe it's my lab experience that just sees so many red flags with this "home" version? How many people really understand chain of custody issues? And how many can actually read a DNA report correctly? *shrugs*
Knight, but does the home DNA test really offer the truth? That's part of my concern.
Matt-Man, keep it in your pants damn it!
I'm with Knight. If you have to resort to a paternity test then maybe there are other issues you should be addressing too. Sheesh.
Having sex with girls has really helped keep me clear of a lot of trouble!
But I certainly see your point. My ex the redneck's brother's girlfriend and his mother were trying to get his dna to do the home test on him. He knew he was the father, just refused to act like one. But really, would proving his paternity change behavior? I doubt it.
Whoever the test showed as the father would always be free to challenge it in court and ask for a second test at a reputable lab.
And I'm sure there's a 900 number one can call for counseling, right? LOL ;-)
Sure home paternity tests tell us a lot about our society, but nothing we didn't already know. Even if some people still don't want to admit it.
P.S. I also meant to say that home paternity tests tell us as much about our society as home drug tests and home breathalyzer tests marketed to parents of teenagers do.
I was going to say what Dana did. Even if the test is positive, some guys just aren't going to step up. And, let's face it, a lot of moms don't either.
I do like the idea of home testing - as a starting point. I have used a home drug test when I had suspicion of something going on in my house. (The tests came back negative and I ate some humble pie.)
I have seen home tests for Diabetes, Anemia and even AIDS. I think it great for people who are embarrassed or scared to get informed at home, but then they have to follow up with a professional!!
I feel the same way about DNA testing at home. It serves a purpose - it can prove or disprove something. If you are looking to solve legal issues, you have to follow up and go further. But I think this is a good starting point.
Doc, Maury Povich AND Jerry Springer!
Tink, I guess that's my take on this. I find it disturbing that questions of paternity are so rampant that we need a drugstore test to address the problem.
RLL, I absolutely agree. DNA tests are not some magic fairy dust that turn "bad" parents into "good" parents. Just isn't going to happen.
Jay, silly me! I'd just like to see society do a better job of creating a need for at home paternity testing.
Biscuit, you know, I tried really hard to stay gender neutral in this post because I didn't want to "blame" anyone for the need for at home DNA testing.
Karen, I just don't trust the results of a pretty significant lab test to an "at home" kit. *shakes head* I just think it could easily give an incorrect result or that results could be gathered without the consent of an individual.
Unfortunately, those days of scruples and moral values are long since gone...we can thank Hollywood for taking our imagination away and show our youth what it could be like to be immoral.
I think that these tests should be an indicator and nothing more. If you are truly concerned about whether or not your the father of the child, then you would start with this test and then take it to the next level....
In college I used to buy a pack of condoms and a few other items so it looked like I wasn't dying to get through the check-out line so I could go back to the dorm and bang my girlfriend. IT was always a difficult decision what the other items should be.
I wonder what items you would have to include in your basket so this didn't stand out like a sore thumb!
"And what happens to the people? The father who finds out they've been raising a child that isn't biologically theirs?"
I'll let you know right after I finish watching the Montel Mauri Povich Ricki Lake Williams Show at 4 o'clock.
I agree and disagree...
If people consented to sex, I think it's a tad too late for them to object to a paternity test. Yo've already given away your bodily fluids, now is not the time to play the privacy card. Our society should first and foremost hold people accountable of their actions.
However, I do have issues with the notion that DNA testing is as simple as detecting a hormone in urine.
That misguided notion might be a by-product of all the crime investigation shows that don't portray the reality of forensic science.
I have a cousin that is now remarried and paying child support. It is fairly obvious (not blatantly, but fairly) that the child is not his and the mother (bred before wed to cuz) had ummmmmmm sketchy character. His new bride (who of course gets along rather poorly with ex) wanted to do that test but cuz said he'd rather just pay for 10 more years and not know.
Thanks Dana, now I understand why my wife always winks at me and says that she is sure the kids are hers. "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit".
I saw an add for this on tv while back. I bet Maury Povich has stock in the company. He sure would know how popular the test would be.
"Hey baby, want to come over to my place for a good time? Just run this swab around your gums first and give it to me in case I need it later."
Who will really win in this? The lawyers of course. They get the fees for filing the child support cases after the tests come back in.
I have an idea, how about sleeping with one person at a time, or if you are going to have multiple partners insist on each person having birth control.
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