There are also medical reasons to have a paternity test. It may be important to the child's health to know the medical history of the child's biological parents and their extended families. For example, knowledge of family health history can be important in diagnosing a child's current medical condition or may suggest early screening for certain types of hereditary disease.

Certainly not the very least of reasons to initiate a DNA paternity/maternity test is peace of mind. More than 250,000 tests a year are now conducted in America, and about 15,000 in Britain. Some of the testing is done to settle legal disputes about child maintenance between unmarried couples, or to answer questions on rights to inheritance. Sometimes no legal issues are at stake but that does not make the test any more or less significant to the individuals involved. People who have lived their lives with a nagging doubt, agonising over their origin or their offspring, are deciding to take the plunge. Not knowing who your mother or father are can be emotionally distressing and have a very real impact on your everyday life. Not knowing if the child you embrace is your genetic contribution to the world can be heartbreaking.

These types of tests are just as significant to the individual as any legally admissible testing. Whatever the reasons behind wanting the test, the affected parties need to be certain, 100% certain, that they are ready to accept the consequences - for better or for worse. Once that piece of paper is read you can't go back and unknow what you've learned. What you see will impact the remainder of your life and that of the child. All too often, the answer to the paternity question is one both father and child wish had never been asked. In some situations, ignorance can be bliss.