TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Genetic testing can reveal secrets — sometimes surprising and sometimes predictable — about a person's origins.
In Taiwan, genetic tests have been on the upswing, particularly in the past couple of years due to stricter regulations that often require DNA analysis reports for purposes such as household registration of minors, notes Dr. Yi-Ning Su, director of the National Taiwan University Hospital's Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics Laboratory.
Su, who has been with the hospital's medical genetics department for about seven years, has seen his fair share of peculiar cases.
“Especially when it comes to paternity testing, while some parents come to us already with some doubts, every once in a while we still see cases where couples are completely taken aback by the results,” he says.
Out of the 700 to 900 sets of couples or families that undergo genetic testing every year at the hospital, about one or two per month are surprised by paternity test results, according to the geneticist.
The doctor recounts that one of the more memorable cases he has witnessed occurred about three years ago, when a Taiwanese man and his foreign spouse went in for a routine paternity test required for their six-year-old son's household registration so he could be enrolled at school.
“Not only did it turn out that after six years of raising the child, the boy was not his, but the mother disappeared without a trace even before we could deliver the results,” Su noted. “So the child became an orphan. We had no clue where his biological family was.”
“We were, of course, very shocked. For her to just take off like that was very sad,” he lamented. “What we suspect is that the mother probably already knew.”
“We later learned that the father, who was an only child, had divorced his first wife before because she was unable to bear him male children,” continues Su. “We often wondered if the second spouse, aware of this pressure, switched a female baby for the boy while still living abroad.”
While cases like these are unfortunate, other times genetic testing can uncover much-welcome results, as is the case with local couples who share the same last name and wish to be married — traditionally considered taboo in many Asian societies.
“Some of the older generation in Taiwan still frown upon marriages between a man and a woman with the same surname for fear that they may be somehow related,” says Su. “But this belief is completely wrong,” the doctor stresses.
“Even though nowadays the younger generations are not concerned about this taboo, every month, on average, we still see one or two couples with the same surname who, under pressure from their older generations, get tested before they get married to prove that they are not related,” he points out. “The results virtually always come back negative for blood relation.”
“Couples who are in fact consanguineous almost always already know it, and come to us not so much for testing, but for genetic counseling to find out if there would be any problems with their offspring,” he says.
Other cases have also raised many an eyebrow at the medical genetics department.
“A man once brought his bedsheets because he suspected his wife had committed adultery when he was away on a business trip,” Su recounts.
“Some people have brought human ashes, or asked us to extract specimens from cadavers to determine biological relation for legal entitlement purposes,” he offers as other curious requests.
“While it is possible to use such samples to conduct genetic analysis, we do not normally perform these types of forensic tests as they fall under the realm of the Criminal Investigation Bureau,” he explains. “We do not carry out tests without consent of the individual, although we will perform them only in the case of court orders.”
Asked by The China Post whether there have been cases in Taiwan of twins with different fathers, a rare occurrence that has been known to happen in the case of fraternal twins, Su says that although theoretically possible, he has not heard of any such cases in Taiwan. “At least in our testing we have not uncovered this.”
“Of course, as it is often the case, the mother is the only one who knows best,” he adds with a smile.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
First the Affair, Then Paternity Test, Then Abortion?
By AMMU KANNAMPILLYLONDON, Jan. 27, 2009
The illegal use of DNA testing to determine the sex of fetuses in the developing world is widely known, but now, concern is growing in the United Kingdom that the availability of prenatal paternity tests is encouraging women to terminate fetuses that are the result of extramarital affairs.
According to Dan Leigh, the marketing director with DNA Solutions, a global DNA test firm with offices in 40 countries, the number of women opting for the prenatal paternity test shot up from 20 in 2002 to 500 last year.
"The testing technology has improved vastly," Leigh told ABC News. "It's become much more accessible."
"It's fairly common to see women take this test after their husbands have found out about an affair and want to know if they have fathered the child their wife is carrying," Leigh said.
"But 75 percent of the cases involve women coming in of their own volition; they want to know whose child they are carrying," he said.
As for the concerns over women terminating their pregnancies as a result of the tests, Leigh demurred, saying that "there are no statistics to support that, but it [abortion] happens when the husband turns out not to be the biological father."
"It's a sad situation," he said. "It often ends either in divorce or the husband insists on terminating the pregnancy."
The company encourages women who apply to take the prenatal paternity test to also see a therapist. But, although 90 percent of the company's U.S. customers consult with a therapist, only 20 percent of its U.K. clients do, because "the idea of seeing a counselor is just not popular in this country," Leigh said.
And, despite criticism from anti-abortion rights organizations, Leigh insisted that DNA Solutions does "not encourage abortion or termination of pregnancies."
"We are offering the chance to clarify the truth," he said.
"Frankly," he said, "the risk to a baby from an amniocentesis is a much bigger concern for us, and we are working on being able to conduct the test using a blood sample from the mother's arm instead, find a noninvasive way of doing it."
Anti-abortion rights campaigners like Josephine Quintavalle, director of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, dismiss such concerns, saying that, "unless you are conducting a test to help a baby -- for health reasons, say -- there is no significant reason to carry out any procedure that might hurt a baby."
"I don't think we should condone any form of testing that might lead to either sex selection or termination of the fetus," she said.
But the boom in prenatal paternity testing may be a mirage, according to other DNA testing organizations.
Mark Pursglove, the international operations manager for the U.K.-based International Biosciences, said that his company performed "about one or two tests a month" and that the paternity tests were not necessarily tied to adultery.
"Last year," he said, "two of the cases we dealt with involved rape victims who wanted to find out if they were carrying the rapist's babies."
The supposed popularity of these tests has been overstated, he said.
"The process costs between £800-£900 [$1,133-$1,274]," he said. In contrast, DNA Solutions offers tests beginning at $332.
Pursglove said that "the clinics we use for the test won't take up a case if they believe that a termination might be the result."
Furthermore, all clients must "speak to a gynecologist, an obstetrician or a general practitioner before the test is carried out."
Although the company forbids any "gender inquiries about the fetus," unless the person or couple involved explicitly discusses the possibility of termination, the company goes ahead with the test, Pursglove said.
But the expectation of total honesty from a woman caught in such a sensitive situation may just be too high, according to some.
And many anti-abortion rights campaigners believe the chances are slim that anyone would undergo a risky test costing hundreds of dollars without any intention to terminate the pregnancy in case the test turns up a disturbing result.
As this testing technology becomes more sophisticated and more accessible, however, it's likely that paternity tests will only become more commonplace, even as the battle to hammer out an ethical stance on the matter shows no signs of letting up.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6741680&page=1
paternity testing in DFW dallas
The illegal use of DNA testing to determine the sex of fetuses in the developing world is widely known, but now, concern is growing in the United Kingdom that the availability of prenatal paternity tests is encouraging women to terminate fetuses that are the result of extramarital affairs.
According to Dan Leigh, the marketing director with DNA Solutions, a global DNA test firm with offices in 40 countries, the number of women opting for the prenatal paternity test shot up from 20 in 2002 to 500 last year.
"The testing technology has improved vastly," Leigh told ABC News. "It's become much more accessible."
"It's fairly common to see women take this test after their husbands have found out about an affair and want to know if they have fathered the child their wife is carrying," Leigh said.
"But 75 percent of the cases involve women coming in of their own volition; they want to know whose child they are carrying," he said.
As for the concerns over women terminating their pregnancies as a result of the tests, Leigh demurred, saying that "there are no statistics to support that, but it [abortion] happens when the husband turns out not to be the biological father."
"It's a sad situation," he said. "It often ends either in divorce or the husband insists on terminating the pregnancy."
The company encourages women who apply to take the prenatal paternity test to also see a therapist. But, although 90 percent of the company's U.S. customers consult with a therapist, only 20 percent of its U.K. clients do, because "the idea of seeing a counselor is just not popular in this country," Leigh said.
And, despite criticism from anti-abortion rights organizations, Leigh insisted that DNA Solutions does "not encourage abortion or termination of pregnancies."
"We are offering the chance to clarify the truth," he said.
"Frankly," he said, "the risk to a baby from an amniocentesis is a much bigger concern for us, and we are working on being able to conduct the test using a blood sample from the mother's arm instead, find a noninvasive way of doing it."
Anti-abortion rights campaigners like Josephine Quintavalle, director of Comment on Reproductive Ethics, dismiss such concerns, saying that, "unless you are conducting a test to help a baby -- for health reasons, say -- there is no significant reason to carry out any procedure that might hurt a baby."
"I don't think we should condone any form of testing that might lead to either sex selection or termination of the fetus," she said.
But the boom in prenatal paternity testing may be a mirage, according to other DNA testing organizations.
Mark Pursglove, the international operations manager for the U.K.-based International Biosciences, said that his company performed "about one or two tests a month" and that the paternity tests were not necessarily tied to adultery.
"Last year," he said, "two of the cases we dealt with involved rape victims who wanted to find out if they were carrying the rapist's babies."
The supposed popularity of these tests has been overstated, he said.
"The process costs between £800-£900 [$1,133-$1,274]," he said. In contrast, DNA Solutions offers tests beginning at $332.
Pursglove said that "the clinics we use for the test won't take up a case if they believe that a termination might be the result."
Furthermore, all clients must "speak to a gynecologist, an obstetrician or a general practitioner before the test is carried out."
Although the company forbids any "gender inquiries about the fetus," unless the person or couple involved explicitly discusses the possibility of termination, the company goes ahead with the test, Pursglove said.
But the expectation of total honesty from a woman caught in such a sensitive situation may just be too high, according to some.
And many anti-abortion rights campaigners believe the chances are slim that anyone would undergo a risky test costing hundreds of dollars without any intention to terminate the pregnancy in case the test turns up a disturbing result.
As this testing technology becomes more sophisticated and more accessible, however, it's likely that paternity tests will only become more commonplace, even as the battle to hammer out an ethical stance on the matter shows no signs of letting up.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6741680&page=1
paternity testing in DFW dallas
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
PR.com (press release), NY
Boston Paternity Makes Immigration DNA Test Easy with E-commerce Website
Immigration DNA specialists, Boston Paternity, have made the immigration process easier for families by launching a new website that has online registration and appointment scheduling capabilities. The family immigration process that is long and frustrating for I-130 petitioners is getting relief in the form of a private DNA testing company. Many families are uncertain about the future of U.S. family immigration with the induction of the new U.S. President.
window.google_render_ad();
Machester, NH, February 03, 2009 --(PR.com)-- President Obama’s Immigration Plan includes bringing more immigrant families together and using the newest technology to reduce illegal and fraudulent immigration. DNA testing is the most accurate way of proving biological relationships, and is expected to be used more by the USCIS. Boston Paternity, has made the DNA testing process easier for families by launching a new, user-friendly website. The site provides information about the testing process, estimated turnaround time, Embassy contact information, and the ability for families to register, schedule, and pay for tests.Boston Paternity’s new Immigration DNA Testing page provides step by step information about completing the process and allows clients to register and schedule testing appointments.Immigration DNA testing must be completed by an AABB Accredited Laboratory, and it involves a significant amount of case management. The new website explains the process in detail, so clients are not left wondering what is happening with their case.Once a client registers for a test online, a case manager follows up with the client and processes the case from start to finish. “Families have become accustomed to filling out forms and waiting long periods of time to hear back from Immigration. We want to make sure families know when their case will be completed," said John Quintal, President of Boston Paternity.AboutBoston Paternity has been providing accurate DNA testing results for clients since 1999. Knowledgeable case managers provide personalized service to each client. Every DNA test comes with an absolute accuracy guarantee.
ref: http://www.pr.com/press-release/129501
Paternity Testing in Dallas
Immigration DNA specialists, Boston Paternity, have made the immigration process easier for families by launching a new website that has online registration and appointment scheduling capabilities. The family immigration process that is long and frustrating for I-130 petitioners is getting relief in the form of a private DNA testing company. Many families are uncertain about the future of U.S. family immigration with the induction of the new U.S. President.
window.google_render_ad();
Machester, NH, February 03, 2009 --(PR.com)-- President Obama’s Immigration Plan includes bringing more immigrant families together and using the newest technology to reduce illegal and fraudulent immigration. DNA testing is the most accurate way of proving biological relationships, and is expected to be used more by the USCIS. Boston Paternity, has made the DNA testing process easier for families by launching a new, user-friendly website. The site provides information about the testing process, estimated turnaround time, Embassy contact information, and the ability for families to register, schedule, and pay for tests.Boston Paternity’s new Immigration DNA Testing page provides step by step information about completing the process and allows clients to register and schedule testing appointments.Immigration DNA testing must be completed by an AABB Accredited Laboratory, and it involves a significant amount of case management. The new website explains the process in detail, so clients are not left wondering what is happening with their case.Once a client registers for a test online, a case manager follows up with the client and processes the case from start to finish. “Families have become accustomed to filling out forms and waiting long periods of time to hear back from Immigration. We want to make sure families know when their case will be completed," said John Quintal, President of Boston Paternity.AboutBoston Paternity has been providing accurate DNA testing results for clients since 1999. Knowledgeable case managers provide personalized service to each client. Every DNA test comes with an absolute accuracy guarantee.
ref: http://www.pr.com/press-release/129501
Paternity Testing in Dallas
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