DNA Test Accuracy: A Review Of The Facts And Figures

At present, there is no conclusive fact to prove that whether the result of a DNA test is reliable or not. This is because no one can be 100 % sure of a DNA test accuracy.

Actually it is a simple fact that no test can be 100% accurate, therefore the same is the case with a DNA test. DNA test accuracy is thus not 100%, especially in the case of a DNA paternity test.

Types of Paternity Test Results

In a DNA paternity test, there can only be two results. The first result is known as exclusion. Exclusion means a situation where a father is excluded from the accusation of being the father of a certain child. This happens when the father's DNA does not fully match with that of the child. In such a case, the result has to be 100 % accurate, because the DNA cannot match without any biological similarity.

There is a chance of false exclusions only if the DNA lab mixes up the test samples, and as an outcome, the results are sometimes for individuals who are not even related to the case.

On the other hand, in a situation where the DNA of the father matches with that of the child, most paternity tests will produce 99 % to 99.9% accuracy. Then the point becomes debatable, because the researches have proved that in such cases, there are chances of a false inclusion. The researches state that chances of a false inclusion are 100 times more in a 99.0% inclusion, as compared to a 99.99% inclusion.

Cheating The System

Another fact is that the introduction of personal DNA kits has increased the chances of result manipulation. In spite of the vigilance by the authorities, people are cheating on their DNA results through the substitution of DNA blood test sample. Although the people who try to cheat a DNA test have to face severe legal ramifications, this incidence adds to the suspicion of DNA test accuracy.

The DNA test accuracy depends on the amount of loci (or points) tested on the DNA segments of the concerned individual. The accuracy increases with the increase in the number of loci. In order to ensure DNA test accuracy, the DNA laboratory has to test at least 13-16 loci .

There is also a need to pay close attention to the way the DNA labs describe the results of their tests. Sometimes when the results state that the alleged father is excluded by a 100%, the test need not be 100% accurate.

Therefore. the DNA test accuracy can be ensured with a little efforts. Hence the accuracy of these DNA tests is another cup of tea altogether.

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