Paternity Testing Services:
How To Read A Paternity Test
Paternity tests are used to establish fatherhood between a man and a child. Though they used to be based upon blood samples, many paternity tests are handled nowadays through the use of DNA samples that are far more conclusive than the old blood tests ever were. DNA tests can prove or disprove paternity with an accuracy of 99.99% when done according the prescribed methodologies for performing such tests.
With this information in mind there really is no “reading” involved with paternity tests. After the DNA is analyzed and compared against specific markers that are present in both the child's and alleged father's DNA a report comes back from the laboratory stating that either paternity is present or not present. In most cases the DNA markers used will be provided as well in chart-type readout, but to an average person they do not mean anything without interpretation by a DNA specialist.
Once paternity has been proven or disproved that is the end of what the DNA paternity test can prove. Most courts accept this information with high accuracy and will base the decision of paternity off of the results. If there is any doubt whatsoever the court may ask for the test to be performed again, or performed by two different labs to obtain independent results.
[Editor's Note: Not much more to say on this subject really. Paternity tests are not “read” like a report, they merely state yes or no… there is no percentage chance]