5 reasons people take a DNA test (and what they actually find out)

DNA testing used to feel like something you only saw on the news or in crime dramas.

Now, hundreds of thousands of people across the UK take a DNA test every year for all kinds of reasons.

Some want answers, some want closure – some are simply curious.

Here, we look at five of the most common reasons people take DNA tests, and what they find out.

1. To find out if someone is their biological parent

Paternity testing is by far the most common reason people take a DNA test, though the circumstances can vary enormously.

There are many reasons people choose to take a paternity test, including:

• for peace of mind when a baby is born
• where a person has grown up with questions about their biological father
• as part of a legal dispute involving child maintenance or custody

What people find out

A paternity test compares the DNA of a child with the DNA of the potential father(s) to establish paternity. Every person inherits half of their DNA from each of their biological parents, so such a comparison can help us to establish the probability of paternity.

An AlphaBiolabs paternity DNA test looks at up to 45 DNA markers (loci) – double the industry standard for DNA testing – for accurate and reliable results, with only simple cheek swabs required. When testing the biological father, the man and the child will share enough identical sections of DNA to confirm a biological relationship.

If the result needs to be used in court or for legal purposes, such as a child maintenance claim or changing the name on a birth certificate, we also offer court-approved paternity testing. For a legal paternity test, the samples must be collected by one of our professional sample collectors under chain of custody conditions to ensure the result is legally admissible.

We also offer:

• Non-invasive prenatal paternity (NIPP) testing, which can be used to determine paternity before the baby is born. A NIPP test is 100% safe for mum and baby, and completely non-invasive, as it only requires a blood sample from mum, and cheek swabs from mum and the potential father(s).
• Maternity testing, which can be used to confirm whether a woman is the biological mother of a child. The circumstances that prompt maternity testing are often deeply personal. For example, parents who have conceived via IVF may want reassurance that the correct embryo was implanted, while adoptees reunited with a potential birth mother later in life may want confirmation before rebuilding a relationship.
  Like a paternity test, it requires only simple cheek swabs from the mother and child, with results available the next business day.

2. To answer questions about other biological relationships

Not every DNA question is about parentage. People take relationship DNA tests to confirm or disprove biological connections across the family tree including siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and beyond.

These tests come up in all kinds of circumstances, from reconnecting with lost relatives to resolving inheritance questions after a bereavement.

What people find out

Sibling tests, grandparentage tests and other extended family tests can confirm or rule out a biological relationship with a high degree of accuracy. They’re particularly useful when one party, such as a potential father, is unavailable or has passed away, and testing an alternative relative is the only option. We also offer post-mortem DNA testing for families who need answers after losing a loved one.

For questions that run along the paternal line, Y chromosome testing is a powerful tool. Because the Y chromosome passes virtually unchanged from father to son, it can confirm whether two males share a common paternal ancestor, useful for family history research and cases where direct parentage testing isn’t possible.

Twin DNA (zygosity) testing also falls into this category. Parents of twins are often curious from birth whether their children are identical (monozygotic) or non-identical (dizygotic); a question that physical appearance alone can’t answer reliably.

A simple DNA test provides a definitive result. At AlphaBiolabs, we can also find out if twins are semi-identical – an extremely rare phenomenon!

3. To find out more about a pregnancy

Expectant parents are increasingly turning to DNA testing for answers they want ahead of the birth, or that routine scans don’t always provide.

What people find out

Our baby gender test can reveal the sex of a baby from as early as 6 weeks into pregnancy using a small blood sample from the mother. Uniquely, AlphaBiolabs is the only UK laboratory to offer the TinyTAP device, a pain-free, at-home collection tool that lets mothers collect their own sample quickly and easily for testing, without a clinical appointment. Our baby gender testing is over 99.6% accurate, with results available the next business day after your blood sample arrives at our laboratory.

For expectant parents who want to screen for chromosomal conditions, our Non-Invasive Prenatal Genetic Test (NIPT) analyses foetal DNA from a blood sample collected from the mother from as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy. It screens for conditions including Down’s, Edward’s and Patau’s Syndrome, with results available in 6 business days. It’s 100% safe for mother and baby, as no invasive procedures are required.

4. To get ahead of potential health risks

More people are using DNA testing to understand their body better, not just their family tree.

Some are responding to symptoms they’ve had for years without a clear diagnosis. Others are being proactive about their long-term health.

What people find out

Our health tests include a genetic coeliac disease test and a genetic lactose intolerance test, both of which can reveal genetic predispositions that explain symptoms people have been struggling with for years.

These aren’t tests people take out of idle curiosity. They take them because the results give them something they can act on.

5. To understand their ancestry and genetic origins

Ancestry DNA testing has grown dramatically in popularity over the past decade.

People want to know where they come from, not just in terms of country, but ethnicity, migration patterns and deep family history.

What people find out

Ancestry tests analyse specific markers in your DNA to identify your ethnic background and geographic origins.

Results can reveal connections to regions you’d never expected, confirm family stories that have been passed down through generations, or sometimes contradict them entirely. For many people, it’s the starting point of a much bigger journey into their family history.

At AlphaBiolabs, we offer three types of ancestry DNA test, depending on your needs.

• DNA Origins Ancestry Test
  Perfect for anyone curious about their global ancestry. The test provides you with an overview of your genetic heritage, as it relates to several population groups around the world.
• Paternal Lineage Ancestry Test
  Analyses Y-chromosomal DNA (Y-DNA) to trace your paternal heritage far back in time and is ideal for wanting to learn more about your paternal (father’s) heritage.
• Maternal Lineage Ancestry Test
  Looks at variants within your mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is inherited exclusively from your mother.
  Both paternal and maternal lineage ancestry tests can tell you a lot about the pattern of migration your ancestors took.

Explore our complete range of DNA tests

Whether you’re looking for answers for peace of mind or need a result that stands up in court, AlphaBiolabs offers a full range of DNA tests, all performed at our accredited UK laboratory.

Order your test online now, or contact our friendly, knowledgeable Customer Services team on 0333 600 1300 / info@alphabiolabs.com.