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DNA experts and religious groups have warned over the use of a paternity testing kit that is being sold over the counter for the first time in Britain.
Pharmacist Prashant Patel started selling the £30 DNA test kits at the Clockwork Pharmacy in Hackney and now also stocks them at his chain's other nine stores across London and the South-East.
The product contains a swab to collect cheek tissue from the father, child, and optionally the mother. Customers then pay £119 to send the samples to a laboratory in New Mexico, US. International Biosciences claims its test is 99.9 per cent accurate, although there is no regulatory body to verify this.
Testing DNA without consent is illegal under the Human Tissue Act (2004) and companies that sell the kits do not have to be licensed or registered with a regulator.
Pat Wilson, spokesman of advisory body the Human Genetics Commission, said: "We have serious concerns about 'over the counter' genetic tests of this kind. DNA 'theft' is a criminal offence and companies testing samples they have received through the post may not be able to establish if they have been freely given."
Dr Shaun Griffin, spokesman for watchdog the Human Tissue Authority, said people should contact the police if they suspect a paternity test has been carried out without consent.
Rev Joyce Daley, borough dean of Black Majority Churches in Hackney, said she had "grave concerns" about the sale of the kits. "It creates a seed of doubt for parents. We have enough divided families as it is," she added. "People may buy it without understanding all the ramifications."
Josephine Quintavalle, of campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said a child might be unable to give their consent. "Both adults may be using the child as a vehicle to score points," she said. "In other countries over-the-counter genetic tests are illegal because they consider stability and family structure as worth more than fights over paternity."
The paternity testing service has been available on the internet for about two years.
Mr Patel said: "We treat this with the same level of seriousness as selling medicine. When people come in we explain what the kit is about and explain that it has to be signed by the legal guardian of the child before testing. There is more control here than there is on the internet. All our pharmacists are trained in how to use the kit.
"Nobody would use it if there were not already arguments within the family. This is very useful for peace of mind."
A spokesman for International Biosciences said: "[The company] takes the responsibility of paternity testing very seriously and has taken advice from all recognised religious groups and organisations involved in family and child welfare."
The results of the tests are not accepted by British courts.
Reader views (13)
Why should a man be forced to raise a child he didn't sire? She can by God track down the man with whom she fathered the ******* and get him to pay support.
- Gavin, Atl US
Society reasonably expects mothers and fathers to meet considerable financial and other responsibilites for their children. In view of the scale of this commitment, misleading a man (or woman, although that'd be harder) that a child is his (or hers) should be a crime, akin to fraud. In no other sphere would it be acceptable to place the burden of an action on an individual, while leaving that individual no option to demonstrate that the responsibility is not theirs. There may be adverse consequences in a very small percentage of families but these consequences do not justify "fitting up" one alleged parent.
- Alex, London, UK
Any women protesting against paternity tests are suspicious. And let's be real, as a supposed father you have full right to decide if you want to send the saliva of your own child to such an organization. What's the harm compared to deciding if your child get's flu shots or something similar. And all the people shouting it will break up more marriages should lay the blame at the women who are sleeping around and not the men for wanting to know if the child is their own. Most men will still care for the child and love them as their own but both the child and the father have a right to know what is really going on. Women have enough rights to decide everything about reproduction, men have none. High time men get some power back.
- Joost, Amsterdam, Holland
So hiding the truth from a man whom is raising a child that is not his is better than making others pay for their actions? They were betrayed and by banning things like this you are saying it is perfectly fine to lie, cheat, and manipulate men into a terrible situation based on a ladies lack of ethics.
- Tyler, Utah,U.S.A.
This is outrageous sexism. We need equality in these matters: Maternity tests should also be available so that women are not disadvantaged in any way in these matters of family.
- Andy, London
British men need to fight this with every fiber of their being. Apparently your ministries care more for supporting lies that make women feel better than revealing the truth that could be used to force a child's real father to step up and accept his paternity.
- Demosthenes Xxi, United States
I think DNA testing should be mandatory at every child's birth (it doesn't cost that much). That would solve many problems before they get a chance to develop into bigger ones!
- Tom, NYC
So paternity tests will lead to a breakdown in family structures. Not the woman who sleeps around and had someone elses child, thats fine, its the man taking the paternity test thats at fault - get real.
- Gavin Smith, London
"Josephine Quintavalle, of campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said a child might be unable to give their consent. "Both adults may be using the child as a vehicle to score points," she said."
When does a child ever give their consent? That is something done at the discretion of the parents. Always. And the use of a child to score points? That's new?
It couldn't be used in a court 'as is', but it might be useful as an indicator that a formal, chain-of-evidence testing should be carried out. The only stipulation, as I see it, is that all parties involved, including the child (through it's guardian/parent) has access to the results, so it could be positive or negative information ultimately.
It was inevitable that this (and more) will become commonplace, though. It's the down side of 'advances in science'.
- Rogan, Irving
A Wright, you are quite correct: however the fall out for a lot of children who have done nothing wrong is considerable. A lot of men may use this as a painful way to cause greater acrimony during a divorce and probably don't realise that if they have raised a child as if it was their own, they're probably still going to be liable for upkeeping that child even if it turns out it was someone elses . . .
- Roz, France
If it's about a man discovering the truth about a partners child; you can bet your bottom dollar Harman will ban it by the end of the week.
- Jules_London, london
"Wow", this could lead to countless marriage break ups, heartache and murders, what about the kids?, inheritances?, problems to numerous to mention.
I think it is a move in the wrong direction, and is open to misuse with terrible consequences, it should be banned immediately.
- David Crocket, Bradford
I bet a lot of women are very very nervous about these sort of kits.
If you have done nothing wrong, then you have nothing to hide.
- A. Wright - Burke, London, W8
