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OTC Paternity Test Not So OTC
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Feb 15, 2011
Modified Feb 15, 2011
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Feb 15, 2011
Modified Feb 15, 2011
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Has the gnawing mystery of whether your child is actually yours just been too expensive to obtain? Duane Reade has your solution. The drugstore chain is now the only place in the city to find the Identigene "over-the-counter" paternity tests, which actually sound like just as much of a hassle as a doctor administered paternity test. But check out the reviews! Jane says, "At only seventeen, my son had just planned his senior year in high school when he was told he could be a father. Within 5 days we got the results of the paternity test. Thank you, Identigene."
Identigene writes, "Certified by the New York State Department of Health, Identigene is the first company to enable New York residents to purchase a DNA paternity test kit through their local drug store." The kits sell for $29.99 plus $149 in lab fees and additional fees for collection and authorization, which Identigene executive director Steve Smith tells CBS 2 is still significantly cheaper than going to a private doctor. But it's not as easy as something like a pregnancy test (or just buying condoms in the first place). Users still neet to get authorization for paternity testing from an “authorizing agent”, like a physician or an attorney, get your DNA sample collected by an authorized collector and send all the samples to Identigene. Wait five days and voila, instant results.
Even though this isn't the completely at-home lab kit the "over-the-counter" name implies, some New Yorkers still think the test will turn us into a society of feuding rednecks. "It sounds like a Maury Povich show," said one Murray Hill resident. "I'd be worried about privacy in a place like Duane Reade. The whole neighborhood shops here." That's right! You only want your neighbors to catch you buying respectable things, like Tostitos queso dip and Poise pantyliners.
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duane reade
identigene
over the counter
paternity
paternity test
Jaya Saxena
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