Most often, genetic tests are carried out to establish the fact of paternity. However, there are other situations when these analyzes cannot be dispensed with. How to donate DNA and why these tests are needed, we’ll talk in this article.
When do you need to pass a genetic test?
- Establishment of paternity. This is the most common reason for going through an expensive analysis. This is important not only for men who have obligations to raise someone else’s child, but also for women who had careless intimate relationships with different partners in a short period of time.
- Inherited diseases. If there are serious health problems in the family, then future parents want to warn their child from diseases by identifying the percentage of predisposition. DNA analysis methods are selected individually by a specialist.
- The establishment of kinship. Orphans want to find their parents, and genetic tests can provide a list of prospective relatives around the world.
- The definition of ethnicity. With the help of DNA analysis, you can find out belonging to one or another people.
- The desire to find famous ancestors. Nowadays, it has become fashionable to seek out rich and famous relatives among Russian tsars and foreign emperors.
In any case, the database is most extensively presented for Jews, Swedes, Irish, Germans and less for Slavic peoples.
How to donate DNA? Types of samples
Detectives show that in order to determine paternity in medical clinics, DNA analysis requires saliva, hair and nails of the alleged father and child. In real life, a genetic test can be done in medical institutions and at home. For analysis, blood from a vein, sperm, saliva, skin cells (burrs), or hair roots are suitable. Some experts use muscle tissue, toothbrushes, cigarette butts, chewing gum, comb hair, a razor, semen and blood on clothing in these studies.
Blood from a finger or from a vein is donated to an empty stomach. Test tube collection of saliva also occurs before brushing. If you want to do a DNA test secretly from any person, then take the above samples with medical gloves or with clean tweezers, a sheet of paper.
From one person, several DNA samples are needed to get an accurate result. You need to forward them in a paper envelope. Please note that when wet, toothbrushes, chewing gum, razors and other items cannot be placed in an envelope. Wait for them to dry.
Saliva collection at home. Modern technologies
How to do DNA analysis at home? Find a medical facility and order delivery of special tubes. Next, collect the necessary material in separate containers and send them by mail, courier or pick-up to the clinic. Saliva can be collected as follows:
- in medical gloves, take a blank sheet of paper and fold it four times;
- unfold the paper and take a cotton swab;
- wand on the mucous surface of the tongue and cheeks;
- then use it to bend the sheet;
- put the stick in the folds and fold the paper;
- on the sheet do not forget to write the surname on top.
Please note that with your hands, without gloves and improvised materials, do not take samples and do not put them in plastic packaging, only in prepared tubes or paper envelopes.
To determine the various urological, gynecological infections and viruses, it is better to use a PCR detector that will quickly and accurately determine the results.
Can a pregnant woman take a genetic test?
How to get a DNA test for pregnant women? Previously, they made a puncture of the fetal bladder in order to take material, but then there was a threat to the life of the child. Now paternity determination is possible from the 9th week of pregnancy without risk to the health of the fetus and mother. This procedure is called a prenatal non-invasive paternity DNA test.
For this test, a woman and an alleged father take blood from a vein (20 ml for a mother and 10 ml for a man). If several men need to be checked for paternity, then the blood of all participants is donated simultaneously.
It was found that the composition of the placenta is similar to the baby’s DNA. Therefore, when placental cells die and enter the mother’s blood, fetal DNA is extracted using complex bioinformatics algorithms and relationship with the father is established.
If it is necessary to identify the presence of any disease, then a few drops of blood from a finger are enough. A DNA test can detect more than 25 serious diseases (heart disease and immunity, cancer, obesity, diabetes, migraine, etc.).
Types of genetic tests and their cost
A DNA test is an expensive procedure. The more people involved in the genetic test, the more expensive the tests will cost you. If you want to do a test without people, then how to donate DNA in this case? Find out in the centers whether they do genetic analysis in subjects (hair comb, handkerchief with mucus, toothbrushes, etc.), remember that not all clinics provide a full range of services.
The following types of tests are distinguished:
- The establishment of paternity will cost an average of 8-15 thousand rubles.
- The establishment of kinship between both parents and the child (ren) is in the region of 9-11 thousand rubles.
- A sibling DNA test detects siblings. This procedure will cost an average of 13-24 thousand rubles. If you need to establish the existence of a relationship between the alleged relatives, then such a test can cost 16-27 thousand rubles.
- A vanguard test reveals the relationship of uncles and aunts and will cost 13-17 thousand rubles.
- The establishment of kinship between grandparents will cost 13-19 thousand rubles.
- DNA testing of identical and double twins will cost 9-18 thousand rubles.
- Mitochondrial maternal test will cost 23-36 thousand rubles.
Where to do DNA analysis?
You can conduct a test in any clinic that deals with genetic research.
Please note that in Russia not all DNA tests are carried out, many laboratories use the services of foreign clinics. Because their cost can be very expensive, but reliable. The fact is that with an independent order of analyzes abroad, many letters are returned to the client back in connection with the mail policy.
DNA analysis time can be from 4 to 10 days. A rush order costs an order of magnitude higher. When choosing a foreign center, look carefully, as DNA tests are done not only for people, but also for animals.