Sibling DNA testing can be used to determine if siblings could be full siblings, who share both parents, or half siblings, who share only one parent. Though not as reliable as a paternity test, they can help prove family ties.
Reasons to Get Sibling DNA Testing?
Although paternity testing is a more accurate paternity test, it is not always possible. If the father is diseased, absentee, or simply uncooperative, the answers can still be found through Sibling DNA Testing.
Other reasons for siblingship tests include the need to provide definitive proof of family relationships.. One instance is for immigration proof. This information can be requested from the U.S. Embassy as part of the DNA proof needed to obtain a visa. It can help confirm family ties. Another instance is when a person is trying to collect on an inheritance. When the parent in question is no loner available for testing, a sibling can be used to determine a clear relationship.
When These Tests Are Inadequate
Over-the-counter Sibling DNA testing is intended for a fairly specific use. It is more for personal matters. It can’t be used in a legal sense and is not admissible in court unless it is done through an independent facilitator who oversees the entire process to ensure it is done by the book and sent to an approved lab.
The other thing this particular type of testing is not good for is providing information on genetic conditions that may be hereditary. Getting those kinds of results requires an entirely different type of testing done by a genetics specialist.
Inconclusive or Unwanted Results
Having the mother’s DNA testing done simultaneously can provide the best possible results. Trying to match the DNA of two potential siblings is not the same as testing with a parent though. At best, the results can indicate that there is a strong possibility that the two adults are siblings.
According to women’s health advice, a lab looks at 46 DNA strands and gives a ratio for the potential match. Even with the highest number of comparisons, the tests can come back inconclusive and are often hard to read and interpret. You won’t get a simple yes or no answer, but rather a chart showing the similarities and differences.
Sometimes the sibling DNA testing returns unwanted results. It can be disturbing to find out that the person you knew as your father your entire life is not you biological father after all. According to the independent, one in 25 men unknowingly raise another man’s child. Siblingship tests can reveal this information, causing upheaval within the family and raising questions about the mother’s integrity. It can dig up a past that some people would otherwise never know about.
Despite the possibility of inconclusive results, Sibling DNA testing is useful in some situations for helping people find out if they are truly related or not.