Frequently Asked Question About DNA Testing
DNA Test Basics
No. Private individuals can take a DNA test without a physician’s request or court order. Our AABB testing laboratory performs testing in all states in the USA and most countries worldwide.
No, age or drug consumption do not affect the results of a DNA relationship test.
We take our clients’ privacy very seriously, and we have the strict confidentiality policy to prove it.
- We will not release any information about your case to anyone other than the ordering party.
- We will always follow any special instructions you give us for communicating with you throughout your testing.
- We never release test results over the phone.
- All records and personal information are purged from our system 30 days after the delivery date of testing results.
You can learn more about our privacy policy by Clicking Here.
Simply use our online order form 24/7 to place your request in the privacy of your own location. Genetic Consultants are available for telephone discussions to explain the DNA process and answer any questions prior to your ordering. Telephone consultation hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM PST (excluding holidays).
Several testing options are available in situations where the alleged father or mother is not available or deceased:
One option that you may want to considered is viability testing on a sample taken from the missing/deceased person, such as stored blood or a tissue sample. (This type of sample usually comes from a coroner’s or medical examiner’s office.) If usable DNA is found in the sample, we can conduct a DNA test using it as the other person’s sample.
If no biological samples from the other person are available, grandparent, sibling, or avuncular testing is the next option to consider. In the event of grandparent DNA testing, both biological parents of the alleged father (or mother) the paternal grandparents are suggested to participate in a standard 24 marker grandparent test. If both grandparents, or the mother, is not available then we can still perform the testing.
If one or both paternal grandparents are unavailable for testing, other family relationship tests–such as avuncular and sibling tests–may be performed to indirectly determine a child’s biological relationship.
Results of these test prove are used to prove the relationship of each person to each other, and most government offices treat these results as indirect evidence of paternity/maternity.
DNA Sample Collection
You have up to three (3) months to collect and return you samples from the time the kits are ordered. Individuals in different locations should collect and return their samples within 4 weeks of one another.
Yes, a DNA test can be easily conducted even if the parties to be tested are in different cities or even in different countries. Each DNA testing kit is assigned a unique identification number. and can be sent directly to each party. After the DNA collection, each individual can separately send the specimens directly to the DNA laboratory. The DNA specimens will be correctly matched at the DNA laboratory for each case using the unique case number. When ordering online, simply select the option of two or more kits (depending on the number of people testing) on the order form and enter the additional name and address in the box that will automatically show when this selection is made.
The kit is very easy to use and we provide simple, step-by-step instructions for collecting cheek cell samples using the mouth swabs provided. If you follow the instructions carefully, there is no need for you to be concerned with making mistakes.
You may also see our recommended step-by-step process for collecting a DNA sample HERE.
No. With our home testing option, which gives you the same result as the legal test, you can collect your sample at a time and location that is easy for you. You can also you the Make Your Own DNA Kit (MYOK) to save additional time. For more information on the MYOK process, please Click Here.
Yes. Buccal swab samples contain the same DNA as blood samples and will therefore produce the same paternity test results. Buccal swabbing is our primary sample collection method because it is a simple and painless procedure. In addition, buccal swabs are particularly preferable over blood samples for persons who have had recent blood transfusions or bone marrow transplants—their blood samples may contain DNA from the donors.
My DNA Results
Once our laboratory has received all the tested parties’ samples, we will complete the test within 1-5 working days, depending on the test. Your results will be emailed to the email address provided on the order form. Updates are emailed once per day, by 8:00 PM PST for any information that the lab releases that day.
Our method of delivering DNA test results is through email. sent from our encrypted servers to protect your privacy. Results are sent to the ordering party, at the email address provided on the order form.
Our DNA tests result includes a table that lists:
- The allele sizes of the different DNA markers examined and used in the statistical analysis portion of the test (i.e., the DNA profile)
- A Probability of Paternity/Relationship value
- A Combined Paternity/Relationship Index (CPI/CRI) value
You will want to focus on the Probability of Relationship. A result of 0% means there is no biological relationship; a result of 99.99% or higher means the alleged father is the biological father for Paternity Tests and 90.9% or higher indicates a biological relationship for sibling, grandparent and avuncular DNA results. The CPI/CRI value represents the odds against another random, untested person in the population having the same results as the person being tested.
Our policy prohibits us from releasing the results to any person over the phone. This is to protect the privacy of those testing and the confidentiality of the testing. If there are questions concerning the results, please complete a Support Ticket on our website and our Support Staff will respond at the first opportunity.
Legal DNA Testing
Our AABB accredited DNA relationship associated laboratory strictly adhere to the chain of custody procedure, and this makes our test results legally defensible. Many of our clients use their test results for legal purposes such as child custody, child support, immigration, Social Security benefit claims, inheritance claims, and more.
Journey Genetic Testing makes certain our testing follows a strict chain of custody, which makes our results defensible in courts and other government agencies. Many of our clients use their test results to obtain child support and for other important legal purposes, such as validating claims for Social Security benefits or inheritances.
The chain of custody process is what makes Journey Genetics test results legally defensible in courts and other government agencies. It involves three main aspects:
- The tested parties are properly identified when their samples are collected. (Their government-issued IDs are verified and photocopied.)
- The samples are collected by a neutral third party—someone who has no personal interest in the outcome of the test (e.g., a trained DNA collector, notary, a hospital, clinic, or laboratory staff person).
- The samples are tamper-taped, securely packaged at the collection site, and carefully inspected upon receipt for any evidence of tampering.
When these requirements are satisfied and documented, a DNA test’s results are legally defensible. This means that they can be used for legal any purposes such as probate issues, child custody, child support, immigration, and more.
Price and Payment
Paternity and family relationship DNA testing is not considered to be a medically necessary procedure; therefore, it is not covered by health insurance or Medicaid.
We understand that no two situations are exactly alike, and our pricing depends on the test being performed and the number of people being tested. Please visit the page that best reflects the type of test you are interested in, from the menu bar above, to view our test fees.
We accept the following forms of payment:
-Visa
-MasterCard
-Discover
-American Express
-Debit cards (with a Visa/MasterCard logo)
-Gift cards (with a Visa/MasterCard logo)
All processing is done through our secure and encrypted online payment portal for your protecting and safety.
The question we often ask is “why are other DNA testing labs so expensive?”
All testing meets AABB standards, and all legal testing is AABB accredited. We perform higher marker testing, at lower prices, for the simple reason that part of our mission statement is to provide the truth to our clients at the lowest possible cost. We don’t believe the truth should be something that will break the bank and that everyone is entitled to know who their biological family is.
About Journey Genetic Testing
Our laboratory partner is CLIA, ISO 17025, AABB accredited for relationship testing. You can learn more about accredition for DNA testing HERE.
Our AABB accredited partner laboratory is located in the U.S.A.
The nature of our services calls for privacy and discretion much of the time. The reputable review sites that are common for professional services require each person posting to use their real name and email address. We discourage our clients from posting reviews if they feel the information requested may breach their privacy.
Journey Genetics also will not post, nor do we encourage, reviews or testimonials that change the name of the person testing. Any testimonials on our site are real, not created to make our company look better, and each person has given permission to be identified as listed. We receive letters all the time letting us know how someone’s life has been changed as a result of our service, we just don’t feel the need to list them all.
We do suggest you visit DNA Testing Choice, the premier independent review site for DNA testing.
We have an extensive network of DNA sample collection sites that covers all U.S. states for legal DNA testing. Please call one of our Genetic Consultants at 1-855-DNA-Lab4U (362-5224) for more information concerning legal testing.