Paternity test: how is it done and how much does the test cost in Peru
DNA testing to determine paternity is becoming more and more common around the world, as a way to clarify the blood ties between parents and children. And it is that the genetic material of each one, we inherit it from our biological parents. A laboratory analysis ends up confirming or ruling out that link. The so-called "Free DNA" law, enacted last year by the Government, seeks that more mothers achieve legal recognition of their children and the possibility of accessing a food pension. The rule states that the defendant bears the cost of the examination. What does it consist of? A paternity test is performed by comparing the DNA sequence of the alleged father, the child and the mother. Any value below 99.99% should be taken as inconclusive. Who is asked for a sample? Tests are usually done with the alleged father, mother and child, but can also be done between father and child alone or mother and child. How are the samples taken? DNA can be extracted from a drop of blood, hair or saliva (buccal swab). Are they reliable? According to the laboratories, the confirmation of the biological relationship of a man and a child is determined with 99.9% certainty. In the opposite situation, the result offers 100% security. However, for Elmer Huerta, the medical adviser for RPP Noticias, no medical exam is infallible. "In medicine there is no 100% effective test, be it an X-ray, a blood, cholesterol, glucose or DNA test." False positive and false negative. It is when the test gives a result, but in reality it is the other way around. "For example, for mammograms, the best in the world to detect breast cancer, false positives and false negatives are around 10 to 15 percent," says Huerta. Prices. Clinical laboratories are those that are in charge of carrying out paternity tests and the costs vary from 1000 soles, depending on whether it is a private test or a test by court order (the sampling is done at a court hearing) . Here are some examples:
| LABORATORY | PRIVATE TEST | EVIDENCE BY COURT ORDER | RESULTS | SAMPLING |
| MULTILAB | 1,190 | 1,390 | in 9 days | buccal swab |
| SWITZERLAND LAB | 1,000 | 1,450 | From 8 to 20 business days (private) and from 20 to 30 business days (judicial) | buccal swab |
| BIOGENOMICS | 1,100 | 1,200 | From 12 to 15 days | Buccal swab (private) /
Buccal swab and blood (judicial) |
