🧬 Understanding Your Paternity Test Report
Helping you make sense of your DNA results
👨👦 What is a paternity DNA test?
A paternity test checks if a man is the biological father of a child.
👶 Everyone inherits half of their DNA from their mother and half from their father.
🔍 This test compares the child’s DNA with that of the alleged father to see if they match.
📊 How do the results work?
DNA is made up of markers (like tiny codes 🧩) at different spots.
At each spot, you have two numbers – one from your mother 👩 and one from your father 👨.
✅ If most or all markers match, the test calculates a probability of paternity.
📈 A result of 99.8% or higher is considered proof of paternity.
❌ If more than two markers don’t match, the man is excluded as the biological father.
🧑🔬 What is a Y-chromosome test? (Only for male children)
🧬 The Y chromosome is passed from father to son and doesn’t change much over generations.
👨👦 All male relatives on the father’s side (e.g., brothers, sons, paternal uncles) share the same Y profile.
🔎 This test shows shared male ancestry, not direct paternity.
📊 The report may mention how common that Y profile is in the general population.
🧑🤝🧑 What about sibling or relationship testing?
Used when we want to know if people are related (e.g., siblings) but don’t have a parent’s DNA.
🧪 Example:
- Alleged father: markers 11 and 13
- Child: markers 11 and 12
- Mother: markers 10 and 12
🧠 The child inherited 12 from the mother, so 11 must have come from the biological father.
🧬 Sibling DNA comparisons
👨👧👦 Siblings get different combinations of DNA from their parents.
Even full siblings may not share many markers, but close relatives generally share more than unrelated people.
📈 The report gives a likelihood ratio comparing two possibilities:
- Full siblings?
- Half siblings?
🔢 A number greater than 1 means the first option is more likely.
⚠️ Sometimes, relationship tests are not conclusive.
Other info — like family history 🏡, known relatives 👨👩👧, and cultural context 🌍 — may help.
📌 Important to know
- These tests are based on probabilities, not guarantees.
- DNA testing is very accurate, but not all relationships can be proven with certainty.
- 🗣️ Honest info about family relationships helps make results more reliable.
⚖️ Disclaimer
This report was prepared carefully.
However, if there are errors or unclear results, the laboratory and its staff are not legally responsible unless serious negligence can be proven.