72% Of DNA Tests In Zimbabwe Reveal Fathers Are Unknowingly Raising Children Who Aren’t Their Own

In
an
interview
with HealthTimes,
Partners
Chiriseri
from
Global
DNA
Zimbabwe
explained
that
many
men
who
take
DNA
tests
find
out
they
are
not
the
biological
fathers
of
the
children
they
were
raising.
Said
Chiriseri:

The
current
statistics
for
people
who
have
undergone
testing
are
both
shocking
and
interesting.
Most
clients
come
for
paternity
tests,
and
currently,
72%
of
the
results
issued
are
negative,
while
only
28%
are
positive.

Chiriseri
explained
that
paternity
tests
yield
only
two
possible
outcomes:
either
0%
or
99.99%
certainty.
There
are
no
in-between
percentages,
as
partial
probabilities
are
only
relevant
for
relationship
tests. He
said:

Most
people
do
DNA
tests
to
confirm
the
paternity
of
their
alleged
children.
This
usually
stems
from
suspicions
of
infidelity,
particularly
on
the
part
of
women,
leading
the
alleged
fathers
to
seek
confirmation.
These
tests
provide
peace
of
mind
to
those
involved.

Chiriseri
further
explained
that
DNA
tests
are
not
just
for
checking
paternity,
but
also
for
other
purposes
like
career
development
and
migration.

He
said
that
DNA
tests
are
often
required
for
immigration,
especially
for
people
applying
for
visas
to
countries
like
the
UK
and
the
United
States.
In
these
cases,
parents
may
need
to
prove
their
biological
relationship
with
their
children
before
moving.

Chiriseri
also
noted
that
DNA
profiling
is
becoming
more
popular,
with
people
choosing
to
have
their
genetic
information
stored
for
future
use.
He
said:

DNA
samples
can
be
banked
for
future
identification
purposes,
such
as
in
cases
where
human
remains
are
unrecognizable
after
an
accident.
The
stored
profile
can
then
be
compared
to
recovered
DNA
samples
for
identification.

…
in
rape
cases,
DNA
testing
can
help
identify
suspects
if
semen
or
other
biological
evidence
is
collected
from
victims.
By
comparing
the
DNA
profile
of
a
suspect
to
the
collected
sample,
authorities
can
confirm
or
rule
out
their
involvement.

Some
countries,
including
the
United
States,
have
already
implemented
national
DNA
databases
for
criminals.
If
introduced
in
Zimbabwe,
such
a
system
could
aid
in
criminal
investigations,
identifying
suspects,
and
supporting
law
enforcement
efforts.

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published
in:

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