Take-at-home DNA kits have been a popular holiday gift for a decade or more, and this year is no different. If you’re gifted a DNA kit this Christmas season, you might feel inclined to submit your DNA–either from guilt or curiosity. But there are a few things to know before going through the process.

A primary concern is that take-at-home DNA kits have poor security. University of California, Davis law professor Lisa Ikemoto said, “You’re allowing your personal information to be used by others,” Ikemoto said. “That information’s being transferred to third parties. And it’s being used for uses that you never imagined.”

Direct-to-consumer DNA companies like Ancestry and 23andMe store DNA in huge databases. Once you’ve submitted your DNA, you have lost your autonomy and privacy to your own DNA. If a database has a breach, then your genetic information could potentially be stolen.

Additionally, many DNA kits promise answers they can’t provide. Kits that claim to predict future diseases or your ideal weight loss diet may provide some clues to your health but won’t give you a complete picture.

Before submitting your DNA, it’s best to research the pros and cons of your specific kit. If you need rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is here to help!

With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

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80 years after Pearl Harbor, new DNA technology is aiding historians and geneticists to identify 90% of the 429 victims of the USS Oklahoma and return them to their bodies to their proper resting places.

After the USS Oklahoma was torpedoed by the Japanese bombers, the 429 victims were placed in mass unmarked graves. There was no way to identify them, and no way to return them home to grieving families. These bodies have been untouched for almost 80 years.

But then in 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency created a program to identify the unmarked bodies and return them to their families. So far, the team has been able to identify 361 of the crewman who gave their lives for freedom that day.

It has been a hard-fought challenge for many reasons. Primarily, maternal mitochondrial DNA is used, but many of the crewmen shared ancestral backgrounds. But now, new DNA technology enables geneticists to use paternal DNA, as well. This has been the biggest factor in properly identifying the crewmen.

Scientists also used dental records and examined the physical remains for other genetic markers.

The DPMAA team has identified everyone they can at this time. Although 33 men remain to be identified, they hope that genetic breakthroughs in the future will enable each family to have closure.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

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21 year ago, a 7-year-old girl named Brittany Renee Williams from Virginia vanished from her group foster home. She was being treated for AIDS and lived with Kim Parker who ran the group foster home.

A desperate police search began for Williams, who couldn’t survive without her AIDS medication. But after she couldn’t be found, Williams was pronounced dead, given her medical condition.

However, new evidence has been uncovered that Williams is alive and thriving. Williams was adopted and given the name Kaylynn Stevenson and lived most of her life in Ohio. She began researching her family history, trying to make sense of a spotty childhood memory.

Stevenson had many identifying marks on her body, such as surgical scars, catheters, and feeding tube scars that matched the description of Williams’ missing person flyers.

But Stevenson got no answers from her adoptive parents and has still not obtained the legal adoption papers. Additionally, Stevenson doesn’t have AIDS. It was all a facade put on by Parker to be given more grant money.

Stevenson was able to connect with Anastasia McElroy, the first daughter of Williams’ biological mother, Rose Marie Thompson. The resemblance is uncanny. But the two fought for more than facial resemblance and wasted no time getting DNA tests. They have a 95% match of being half-sisters.

Stevenson has now retired her adoptive name and goes by Brittany Renee Williams. She continues to live with her wife and biological daughter in Indiana, putting together the pieces of her past and looking forward to a bright future.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

For those of us who completed the census in 2020, we remember the extensive questions about ourselves and family members, our race, and our financial income.

According to the census, 1 in 10 people couldn’t just check one box for racial identities. This is almost four times more since the last census.

Perhaps one reason for this is increased accessibility to cheap DNA tests.  Before DNA tests, we only knew our heritage based upon what our parents told us, which is what their parents told them, and so on. Now there is a way to scientifically prove our genetic heritage and possible ancestral migrations.

Armed with this new information, 276% more Americans selected more than one box for their genetic heritage. While cheaper DNA kits seem to have influenced the results of the census, it remains to be seen how the census results will change America.

Although cheap DNA kits may be appealing, it’s important to test your DNA with a company that won’t sell your genetic information or allows just anyone to access the database. For whatever reason you choose to test your DNA, you should never have to worry that your genetic information is available to the public. This is where DNA Paternity Testing comes in!

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

It’s becoming common knowledge that direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA test kit companies don’t always handle DNA with utmost privacy standards. DNA has been used for multiple scams and is sold to third parties. DTC DNA companies have also faced security breaches in which their databases have been hacked and genetic information leaked.

Is there a way to protect your genetic information? Michael Edge, a qualitative and computational biologist at the University of Southern California, helps us understand the security policies of DTC companies.

1. If users can upload their own genetic data into a database, the database has a greater chance of being hacked or exploited.
2. Some platforms reveal which genes potential relatives share and how long those genetic sequences are. These platforms release more of your genetic information than you may have signed up for.
3. If the platform allows users to search for specific segments, they can acquire more information about your genetics, even if they’re not related to you.

While these are all important considerations when choosing a DTC DNA test company, the best way to maintain your privacy is by using DNA Paternity Testing. With DNA Paternity Testing, you don’t have to worry about security breaches, HIPAA violations, or databases. Your genetic results are safe with you–and safe with us.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

Using a direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA test has many draws. You could discover long-lost relatives, learn your heritage, or possibly what health conditions you might encounter in the future.

However, experts like Michael Edge, a qualitative and computational biologist at the University of Southern California, caution that using DTC tests is a gamble with your most private information–your DNA.

Edge compares your DNA with other private information such as your social security number or credit card number. While a hacker could wreak havoc by obtaining your social security number or credit card number, these don’t give the hacker an increasing knowledge of your personhood. On the other hand, as science evolves, the DNA you submit to DTC becomes more and more valuable because they can extract increasingly more information from it.

Some DTC companies share your genetic information with third parties by default. But companies who require consent to share data aren’t innocent; these companies take one consent and apply it to all other third-party partnerships.

In 2017, one study found that 35 of 90 companies DTC companies had no protocol on how they would handle biological samples or genetic data.

To summarize what has been said: it all comes back to money. DTC DNA companies first sell you a product to uncover some whimsical or practical information. But then, these companies sell off your genetic information to third-party companies. Finally, DTC companies can continue to make a profit off your DNA for decades to come as we learn more about human DNA.

If you’re looking for genetic information, don’t turn to a DTC DNA test. Instead, submit your DNA sample through DNA Paternity Testing. We take privacy very seriously and don’t sell your genetic information to third parties.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

24 years ago, Guo Xinzhen was kidnapped from his front yard by human traffickers. Guo’s father vowed to never stop searching for his son.

The event happened in 1997 when Guo was kidnapped from his home in Shandong, China, by a female suspect named Tang. Tang and her partner sold Guo to a neighboring province called Henan.

True to his word, Guo’s father traveled over 310,000 miles on his motorbike. His dedication to finding his son inspired the film “Lost and Love.”

“Only on the road, I felt I am a father,” he told the Shandong-based Qilu News in 2015 before the movie was released. “I have no reason to stop (searching). And it’s impossible for me to stop.”

But it wasn’t until recently when genetic testing was able to track down and confirm Guo as the missing son.

The reunification was able to be broadcasted on Chinese state television CCTV. Father and son exchanged a tearful embrace, and Guo’s mother could be heard saying “My baby, you came back.”

Guo’s father proudly told the watching audience, “Now that the child has been found, everything can only be happy from now on.”

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

Alaskan law enforcement is required by law to collect DNA samples from all people charged with a crime against another person or a felony. However, this hasn’t happened in thousands of cases over the past 25 years. In fact, more than 21,000 DNA samples are missing from crimes.

Determined to reduce the rate of sexual assaults and other violent crimes, Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy announced that law enforcement will collect the missing data and begin correctly obtaining new data.

“Government has an obligation to follow the law,” he said. “And regardless of the many reasons that these DNA collections were missed, we are focused on making our … state a safer place to live.”

Dunleavy rightly pointed out that it’s not fair to the victims for their cases to be dropped or not receive a resolution in a timely manner.

“We want to get the kits processed timely, we want to get back to victims timely and we want to collect this DNA to help us solve those crimes,” he said.

This is an overwhelming amount of data to collect, so Alaskan law enforcement will start with those convicted of violent and sex crimes, which is about 600 people. It’s admirable that the state is seeking to hold its criminals accountable.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare: to have your child stolen. That’s what happened to Betty Jones sixty years ago.

While Jones was giving birth to his younger sibling, 2-year-old Lewis Thompson was stolen by his babysitter and given to an older couple. Thompson grew up as an only child knowing that he was adopted.

Thompson’s adopted father died when he was 14, and his adopted mother went psychotic a few months later and was committed to an asylum. Thompson spent the next four years in foster care until he became a shoe salesman at 18. Thompson met his wife while attending a shoe conference in Las Vegas. They married in 2009 and moved to her home in Australia.

Thompson’s wife, Christine, prompted him to take a DNA test and he agreed. That’s when he was matched with his brother Lammie and the whole story unfolded. In a dramatic twist, the brothers discovered they had lived a block apart their whole childhood.

“I lived on 138th [in Harlem], and my family lived on 139th,” said Thompson. “When I was 8 or 9 years old, a friend asked me if I had a sister. He said he’d seen a girl ‘round the corner at Miss Susie’s candy store, who looked just like me. I saw her one time, too, and agreed. But it didn’t occur to me that we might be related.”

They were in fact related; that girl was his older sister, Wanda.

Even with their close proximity, the siblings had never met as kids because Thompson went to public school and his siblings went to Catholic school. Thompson’s mother was careful to keep her children off the Harlem streets, and Thompson was required to be inside when the street lights came on.

But now, the siblings have reunited and their family is complete.

DNA Paternity Testing provides rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!

DNA technology is always expanding, and now it has expanded to your favorite furry pets. That’s right, if you enjoyed the thrill of uncovering your ancestry, you can experience the same excitement from learning your dog’s ancestry, as well.

Similar to human take-at-home tests, simply swab the inside of your dog’s cheek and sending it to be analyzed. The most prestigious dog DNA kit companies give you an analysis of breed and genetic health risks.

Dog DNA databases have skyrocketed in the last decade. One direct-to-consumer company, Wisdom Panel, has tested the DNA of over 2.5 million pets since its launch in 2007.

Each dog has their own personality traits and quirks. These are some of the things we love most about our pets. But DNA testing can give you greater insight into these traits. For instance, certain behavioral tendencies can be attributed to a certain breed.

Most importantly, dog DNA kits give us the information we need to help our dogs live their happiest, healthiest lives. With the genetic information, you can know what to expect as your dog ages and what can make them the most comfortable and happy.

While DNA Paternity Testing doesn’t provide dog DNA kits, we do provide rock-solid answers to important questions like parentage and ancestry. With over 2,000 centers nationwide, DNA Paternity Testing Centers is one of the largest, most affordable, networks of accredited DNA testing labs in the United States. Our price is unbeatable without sacrificing quality. We offer DNA testing for paternity, maternity and all other relationships (grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles).

Call us today at 866.944.9546 or ORDER ONLINE!