There are many different reasons why you may want to take a DNA test.
This could be a paternity test to prove that you are a biological father, or a DNA test to check your ancestral history.
Whatever your reasoning, it can be a little daunting deciding which company to choose.
In this article, we will be discussing a DNA testing company called AffinityDNA.
They are one of the most well known and trusted companies that provide clear and accurate results. They provide a wide range of different DNA tests.
We will be talking about the company as a whole, their reliability and how discreet they are.
Why Should I Get A DNA Test?
There are many reasons why you may want to get a DNA test.
Sometimes a test is out of necessity, other times it can be out of curiosity. If there are any discrepancies or you need to confirm a biological relationship, a DNA test is the only way of truly confirming this.
The majority of people associate DNA tests with finding out who the biological father of a child is. However, DNA can be used to find out many things.
They can confirm the gender of your child before it is born, they can help to identify any potential illnesses you have and even confirm the breed of your dog. There are many ways in which a DNA test can be interesting and useful to have.
Who Are Affinity DNA?
AffinityDNA is a well-known and trusted DNA testing company. They are an accredited, industry-leading brand. They are accredited by many different companies and organisations, such as the UK Ministry of Justice and the American Association of Blood Banks.
The tests they carry out are some of the most accurate and reliable in the UK. Some of their tests can even be used for legal and immigration purposes. They are a company that is used and recommended in a professional as well as personal setting.
They have over ten years of experience in working and testing DNA and they are partnered with some of the top and leading DNA laboratories in the world.
Not only can they be relied upon by their high standards, but they also handle personal data in a supportive way. As a company, they are aware that DNA testing can be an emotional and sensitive topic. Given this, they handle everything in a discreet and understanding manner.
DNA Tests Available
AffinityDNA offers a wide range of DNA testing, from paternity tests to Dog DNA tests.
Here is a list of the types of DNA tests that AffinityDNA offer:
- Paternity Tests
- Relationship DNA Tests
- Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
- Ancestry DNA Tests
- Genetic Testing
- DNA Health Tests
- Animal Tests
- Other DNA Tests
As you can see, AffinityDNA offers a wide range of DNA tests that cover everything you could need. They have necessary tests such as paternity and relationship tests.
They also carry out optional tests to help you find out your ancestry history and potential health problems too.
Paternity Tests
A paternity test determines whether or not an individual is the biological parent of a child.
This is a very important and useful test. AffinityDNA offers a wide range of paternity tests, some of which can be used in a legal setting. Here are the options available:
- DNA Paternity Test
- Prenatal Paternity Test
- Legal Paternity Test
- Immigration Paternity Test
- Discreet Paternity Test
A paternity test could be needed for several different reasons. If you need to confirm who the biological father of your child is, or if you legally need to take a paternity test.
If you need to prove your status as a biological father for immigration or passport applications, the Immigration Paternity Test is acknowledged as legal evidence of this.
At-home paternity tests do not hold any legal credibility. Given this, AffinityDNA offers a legal DNA test which is seen as evidence for government departments.
In terms of results, the waiting time will vary for each of these tests. However, they all arrive fairly quickly with many mouth swab results taking between 3-5 working days to arrive.
The tests that require blood samples, such as the Prenatal Paternity Tests do take a little longer, at around 7-10 working days. With this test, you will need to visit a medical professional to take the blood sample for you.
AffinityDNA offers a discreet service if you are unable to obtain a mouth swab. You will need to contact them directly to speak with them about this. But items such as fingernails, drinks cans, and earwax can be tested with a person’s consent.
Overall AffinityDNA is a great option to choose if you are looking need a Paternity test. They handle everything with confidentiality, the results arrive quickly and the price is reasonable.
As they are accredited by many companies such as the AABB, this will give you peace of mind that your results are reliable and accurate.
Many of their Paternity tests are 99.99% accurate in correctly identifying the biological father, and 100% accurate in their negative results.
Relationship DNA Tests
AffinityDNA offers a wide range of relationship DNA tests. These help to determine things such as confirming siblings and biological families.
If you are looking to carry out a paternity or maternity test, but are unable to, other relationship DNA tests can be used as an alternative.
Here is a list of all of the Relationship DNA Tests that AffinityDNA offers:
- Sibling DNA Test
- Aunt And Uncle DNA Test (Avuncular)
- Grandparent DNA Test
- Twin Zygosity DNA Testing
- Mitochondrial Testing
- Y Chromosome Test (Y-DNA)
- Maternity DNA Test
- DNA Test For Surrogacy
- Genetic Reconstruction DNA Test
As you can see, AffinityDNA covers all of the bases with their DNA tests. If you want confirmation that someone is your biological sibling, the sibling DNA test is a great option. DNA tests such as the Twin Zygosity DNA Testing can even confirm whether twins are identical or non-identical.
Relationship DNA tests are commonly used when a suspected biological parent is not able to be tested. The DNA tests such as the Avuncular, and the Grandparent can help determine a biological parent.
The majority of the Relationship DNA Tests take around five working days for the results to arrive. However, some do take a little longer, such as the Genetic Reconstruction and Mitochondrial tests.
As with the Paternity tests, these are all held in confidentiality and the results arrive quickly. The tests are simple to carry out and just require one mouth swab. They can help you have peace of mind and reassurance.
Relationship DNA Tests can also be useful if you are currently having a child via a surrogate. A DNA test can confirm that you are both the biological parents of a child so that there cannot be any potential disputes about this.
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing
AffinityDNA offers a handful of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing. These tests can help you to confirm the father of your child and also find out the gender of your child.
In addition to this, if you wish to do so, you can carry out a Down Syndrome Test.
- Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity test
- Baby Gender Test
- Down Syndrome Test
These tests vary in length of time to receive results. The Non-Invasive Prenatal Paternity test takes between 7-10 working days to arrive.
It can confirm the biological father from as early as the 11th week of pregnancy. It is accurate and is risk-free.
The Baby Gender Test will only take 4 working days to arrive. It will help to confirm the gender of your child as early as the 9th week of your pregnancy. This is great if you want to prepare and plan. This test is 98% accurate.
AffinityDNA also offers to screen for Down Syndrome. The test is non-invasive and will take 5 working days to arrive.
All of these tests are risk-free and will not harm you or your baby in any way. They are useful if you want reassurance, or are interested in finding out your child’s gender.
Ancestry DNA Tests
Moving away from medical and essential DNA tests. AffinityDNA offers a wide range of optional DNA tests. Ancestry tests can give you an insight into your family tree.
They can identify the areas of the world your ancestors came from and provide you with some interesting information.
In recent years, Ancestry DNA tests have become increasingly popular and there are many companies now offering this. Here is a full list of the different Ancestral tests AffinityDNA provide:
- Ancestral Origins Test
- AncestrybyDNA DNA Origins
- Paternal Lineage Ancestry DNA Test
- Maternal Lineage Ancestry DNA Test
- Ancestry DNA
- Living DNA Ancestry Test
- My Heritage - The Complete Genealogy Pack
These DNA tests can be particularly interesting. If you have always been interested in your heritage they are certainly worth looking into.
While all of these tests will trace your DNA and match it to your ancestry, they do so at varying degrees.If you want a complete history of your DNA, the Living DNA Ancestry Test is a great option. It is AffinityDNA’s most detailed and extensive test.
It is a 3-in-one test that will explore your parent’s families as well as your DNA. It provides a breakdown of the last ten generations of your family. The results of this test do take a while to arrive, on average around 10-12 weeks.
All of these DNA tests vary in length of time to arrive and results. They all use a simple mouth swab and can trace your DNA to different continents in the world.
Some of the tests such as the AncestrybyDNA give you a detailed PDF all about your ancestral history. Overall, they help you to discover interesting information about your history that you may not have known.
With AncestryDNA you are given access to a large database of people that share similar DNA to you. You could potentially find family members you did not know you had. The database can also help you to fill in any gaps on your family tree.
There are so many possibilities available with the Ancestry DNA tests. Given everything you can find out from taking a simple mouth swab, it is easy to see why these tests are so popular.
Genetic Testing
AffinityDNA provides genetic testing. This testing helps you to determine whether or not you could be potentially at risk from certain diseases due to your genetics.
There are three different genetic tests that AffinityDNA offer:
- Genetic Predisposition DNA Test
- Genetic Testing For Coeliac Disease
- Lactose Intolerance DNA Test
If you are concerned about any potential food intolerances, it is worth looking into the coeliac and lactose intolerance tests. They both require a simple mouth swab and the results for both tests take between 2-3 weeks to arrive.
If you are concerned about any potential health problems, the Genetic Predisposition test is a great solution for you. This test will help to determine any potential risks of diseases and conditions you may be susceptible to in the future.
It tests for many different illnesses and conditions, such as cancers, glaucoma and Diabetes. This test takes 19-21 working days to process.
DNA Health Tests
In addition to testing for specific diseases and potential illnesses. AffinityDNA provides many genetic health tests.
Here is a list of the tests available:
- Food & Drink Intolerance Test
- Gut Microbiome Testing
- NutriFit DNA Health and Fitness Tests
- Skin Care DNA Test
- Child DNA Discovery Test
- Diet and Nutrition Health Test
- Exercise and Fitness DNA Test
- Wellness and Lifestyle DNA Test
As you can see from the list above. AffinityDNA offers extensive health tests that can test anything from food intolerances to ways you can improve your skin.
These tests are a great way of you getting to know your body better. They can help you to improve your quality of life and address any potential drink intolerances or gut microbiome imbalances.
Animal DNA Testing
Moving away from human DNA testing. Affinity DNA can also test animal DNA.
Here is a small handful of options they offer:
- Dog Allergy Testing
- Wisdom Panel Dog Breed Test
- MDR1 Test
- PKA DNA Test for cats
There are many other animal DNA tests available on their website too.
The tests range from finding out the breed of your dog to potential health problems.
Animal DNA tests are a great way to rule out any potential illnesses and they are also accurate at identifying your animal’s breed.
Other DNA Tests
AffinityDNA also provides other DNA tests that you may require such as an Infidelity and Semen Detection tests.
Benefits of AffinityDNA
There are many benefits to choosing AffinityDNA.
They are one of the most trusted DNA testing companies in the UK and given that they are accredited by so many companies, you know you can put your trust and confidence in them.
Confidentiality
They handle every case sensitively and respectfully. If you need to talk to anyone about any concerns or questions you may have, their phone line is completely confidential.
You can talk to a qualified professional. All of their tests are discreet, and many you can take at home.
No Hidden Costs
There are no hidden costs with any of the AffinityDNA tests. The price you see on their website is the price you will pay. The postage costs are included in the price and any optional extras are clearly stated. This is great because it gives you full transparency.
The cost for the DNA tests is reasonable and reflects the high standards that AffinityDNA maintains.
Confirmation
AffinityDNA tests offer you peace of mind and confirmation for many different areas of your life.
They can help you to reconnect to lost family members and confirm any biological relationships. If the person who was tested is not biologically related to you, the test is 100% accurate at showing negative results.
Overall, their tests can be relied upon and are very accurate. AffinityDNA tests for many different things and they are accredited by many companies and organisations.
Ease of Use
The tests all contain easy to understand instructions and are simple to carry out. While a few may require extra steps such as blood samples, the vast majority of their tests can be carried out at home.
The process is simple. You take a cheek swab with the swab that they send you. You place it in the prepaid package, send it off and await your results. All of the results arrive fairly quickly and will be received via email. It is worth keeping this in mind if you do not have an email address.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we think that AffinityDNA is a fantastic company to choose from. They are research-led, accredited and provide accurate results. The process is easy to follow and the results are easy to understand.
They offer such a wide range of DNA tests from paternity to dog, and as a company are second to none. Confidentiality is of utmost importance to them and they pride themselves on their accuracy, speed, discreteness and accredited status.