Paternity tests are conducted to establish whether a child is really a man's child or if the man is the person that should be responsible for some of the child's upbringing. It is not a new concept but it has progressed as technology has progressed.

As paternity tests have evolved, they have made it more difficult to commit paternity fraud. Paternity fraud is the charge when a woman falsely claims that a man is the father of her child in order to gain child support or other financial benefits.

Laws which influence paternity tests vary by jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions require a court order or the consent of the mother in order to go through with the test. Other areas have set time frames within which the father can challenge his status as father. This sort of statute has made it somewhat easier to commit paternity fraud.

Paternity tests may be required to prove whether a man has a paternal obligation to a child. There are two main types of tests. The first is an ABO blood type test which is based on the way blood types are passed from generation to generation. The second type is DNA testing. This is based on a comparison of two strands of DNA from two people. Both of these are scientific tests to determine paternity.

DNA Testing

DNA testing, the more recently developed form of paternity testing, generally utilizes one of two possibly tests; restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These two tests both allow an individual to be determined as another individual's father.

The RFLP test cuts DNA into specific fragments using restriction enzymes. These fragments are then sorted by size using a special gel with an electric charge at one end. The longer fragments are sorted out of the tube because they don't move through the gel as well as the short fragments. The shorter fragments can be compared for similarities in their patterns.

PCR testing uses a DNA polymerase essentially to replicate a portion of DNA many times over. This creates an amplified section of DNA for analysis. Scientists select a limited section which allows them to develop a genetic fingerprint for people.

ABO Blood Type Testing

ABO blood type testing is more useful for disproving paternity than proving it. It works by analyzing the blood types of the parents and the child. It banks on the fact that some blood types, like genes, are dominant and others are recessive.