Home DNA paternity tests hit store shelves

http://www.nma.tv/ 'Baby-mama drama' has lit up daytime TV talk shows for years, with everyday people learning the results of their paternity tests in dramatic fashion. But now there is a more private alternative. Home paternity tests are being sold in drug stores in all 50 US states, most recently in New York. Parents-in-question take a DNA sample from themselves and their child, using mouth swabs included in the kit. They then mail the samples to the company's testing facility. Results are available within days. There are some catches. Home test results aren't admissible in court, and though the kits sell for US$29.99, additional fees can total in the hundreds. Nevertheless, now that paternity tests are more readily available, it looks like some TV talk show hosts will be out of a job.