Blogs
Why DNA tests must include both parents
Why triadic DNA testing is essential for accurate paternity verification and protecting families from costly scientific errors, writes Babirye Shanitah
Babirye Shanitah. (Courtesy)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
______________________
OPINION
By Babirye Shanitah
DNA testing is often presented as the ultimate arbiter of truth, a scientific tool to confirm lineage, secure inheritance, and resolve family disputes. Yet behind the sterile reports and percentage probabilities, many families quietly struggle with the devastating consequences of incomplete data, false accusations, and hidden medical errors. This is why triadic DNA testing involving both parents is not a luxury but a crucial part of ethical verification.
A process that includes maternal samples ensures comprehensive truth-seeking, protects innocent parties from false accusations, and prevents marriages from dissolving based on scientific blind spots rather than biological reality.
A few years ago, many cases of family breakups rose when a father’s DNA test excluded him, leading to immediate accusations of infidelity against his wife.
However, the laboratory had failed to test the mother, who also showed genetic exclusion due to a rare marker that pointed toward a hospital mix-up rather than marital betrayal. By relying on a partial truth from duo testing, we allowed a scientific blind spot to shatter a home, while the real possibility of institutional error remained completely hidden. This case illustrates why excluding mothers from testing processes to save time and money is a dangerous shortcut that assumes the social mother is always biological, ignoring realities like newborn swaps or surrogacy complications. The push for comprehensive triadic testing is gaining momentum across Uganda as stakeholders recognize the need for greater accuracy.
A few years ago, many cases of family breakups rose when a father’s DNA test excluded him, leading to immediate accusations of infidelity against his wife.
However, the laboratory had failed to test the mother, who also showed genetic exclusion due to a rare marker that pointed toward a hospital mix-up rather than marital betrayal. By relying on a partial truth from duo testing, we allowed a scientific blind spot to shatter a home, while the real possibility of institutional error remained completely hidden. This case illustrates why excluding mothers from testing processes to save time and money is a dangerous shortcut that assumes the social mother is always biological, ignoring realities like newborn swaps or surrogacy complications. The push for comprehensive triadic testing is gaining momentum across Uganda as stakeholders recognize the need for greater accuracy.
Recent reports from Daily Monitor and initiatives by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards have highlighted the risks of incomplete data, while forums hosted by the Uganda Manufacturers Association and guidelines reviewed by the Ministry of Health are pushing for stricter ethical protocols.
Evidence from a 2024 Uganda Law Reform Commission study further supports this shift, revealing that over 30% of contested paternity cases suffered from procedural gaps where the absence of maternal samples led to misleading conclusions. These developments demonstrate that inclusive testing is moving from theoretical debate to practical policy, with legal bodies increasingly partnering to protect family integrity.
Inclusive triadic testing must become the gold standard for all biological verification, not just an optional extra for disputed cases. We must move from accusatory, cost-saving measures to comprehensive truth-seeking by mandating maternal consent and samples in every instance. This act is a vital safeguard, ensuring that all possibilities from infidelity to medical negligence are explored before life-altering decisions are made.
Science without context is dangerous; by giving women a voice in the testing process and requiring full family analysis, we ensure that justice is served and that families are only separated for the right reasons, backed by complete and accurate scientific evidence.
Email: shanitahbab@gmail.com
Evidence from a 2024 Uganda Law Reform Commission study further supports this shift, revealing that over 30% of contested paternity cases suffered from procedural gaps where the absence of maternal samples led to misleading conclusions. These developments demonstrate that inclusive testing is moving from theoretical debate to practical policy, with legal bodies increasingly partnering to protect family integrity.
Inclusive triadic testing must become the gold standard for all biological verification, not just an optional extra for disputed cases. We must move from accusatory, cost-saving measures to comprehensive truth-seeking by mandating maternal consent and samples in every instance. This act is a vital safeguard, ensuring that all possibilities from infidelity to medical negligence are explored before life-altering decisions are made.
Science without context is dangerous; by giving women a voice in the testing process and requiring full family analysis, we ensure that justice is served and that families are only separated for the right reasons, backed by complete and accurate scientific evidence.
Email: shanitahbab@gmail.com