December 21st, 2009 | 
Author: With the discovery of the DNA double helix back in 1952 the human races understanding of who and what we are has come a very long way. The term DNA is now understood by more people than Watson and Crick could ever have of imagined as they worked tirelessly on their paper “A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid” from there room at the Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge, UK. Not until one Monday morning in September 1984 though, when Sir Alec Jeffreys along with his assistant Vicky Wilson first tested the use of a “probe” device did the possibility of mapping a DNA fingerprint arise. Due to this milestone the birth of paternity testing soon followed.
The use of paternity tests is becoming an increasingly used tool in today’s society with just the UK’s CSA providing 2,444 tests in the years 2003-04, growing to 3,474 in 2007-08, many of these through license companies, and at a cost of £281.05 for all three parties (mother, presumed father and one child) it is quickly becoming an expanding sector providing big business.
In July of 2009 it was announced that fathers will, for the first time be able to purchase paternity tests over the counter with the company producing them claiming at least a 99.9 per cent reliable answer. This has caused some medical ethical experts to warn that this could create a “culture of suspicion” and cause possible heartache for the possibly rejected children.
Due to the obvious ethical dilemmas involved with the taking and storing of human tissue the UK government has created the “Code of practice and guidance on genetic paternity testing services” which although not a statutory Code of Practice is adhered to by a majority of large companies offering the service and takes into account the Human Tissue Act (2004).
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