Should I take a DNA test?

Every person taking part in a relationship test,particularly one involving a child, should think carefully about the implications for themselves and their family.Testing should only be carried out if it is in the best interests of the child.

Whatever its purpose, DNA testing is a serious matter and you have the right to expect that the result will be accurate. Only by choosing an accredited laboratory can you be assured of this. Since September 2007 it has been a criminal offence to have a sample taken for the purpose of testing DNA without proper informed consent. It is for this reason that we are unable to support do-it-yourself testing in which you take your own sample at home and send it to us.

Testing children

When a child under the age of 16 gives a sample for testing, this must be done with the consent of a person with parental responsibility for the care and control of the child, at the time of sampling. This person is normally assumed to be the mother, but other individuals can give consent, providing their right to do so can be legally established.

If the mother is attending the clinic to give her consent, but is not being sampled, we also need her to demonstrate her legal right to do so. Adolescent children may be asked to give their own consent to the testing process