Key DNA Testing Considerations – Think About It

Whilst DNA testing may be fairly harmless to undertake, you shouldn’t underestimate its possible consequences. Those who apply for this test are often doing so as a final resort, and the results of the test become increasingly important. You shouldn’t choose a DNA until you’re sure that you’re ready to accept the outcome – no matter what it is.

How To Prepare For DNA Testing

Depending on the reasons for , you may need to take some advice before you even call to request a testing kit. Perhaps you’ve already been talking to a medical professional, or a therapist, who has mentioned the possibility of investigating these tests as part of your treatment or recovery. It’s important to realise that the results of DNA testing could have a negative effect on you as well as a positive one, and that even a “good” result may not be the end of the road as far as you are concerned.

Getting Advice Before

If you’re considering a test, particularly as a way of finding out whether you are the father of a particular child, or if you are trying to trace your own parentage, it’s worth sitting down with a counsellor before you take the test. Talking about your current personal circumstances, and discussing what you want to get from the DNA testing process will help you to get things straight in your own mind. The counsellor will also be able to give you some strategies that may help with any anxiety when you take the sample and whilst you are waiting for the results.

When the Results Come Back

If you have chosen a clinic that handles DNA testing at a distance, the results of your test will come by post. You may want to have someone with you when you open the results, in case they don’t come back with the answer you were looking for. If this is the case, have a friend or relative on standby – so that when your results arrive, you can call them to come and sit with you – or even open the results for you. If the results are not what you expected, you may even want to see a professional counsellor again, to make sure that you can handle the bad news as well as possible.

Remember that even positive results will have a long-term effect on you, and that your problems or stresses may not stop simply because you have the confirmation you were looking for. DNA testing is often a small step in a long process, and you should always treat it that way.