Historically, a woman has had one big advantage over a man - she has always known who the mother of her child was, whereas a man had to take it on trust that it was his sperm which had helped to create a little Peter or Jane. Men might have had their suspicions over paternity, but there was little they could do - until science came up with accurate DNA testing. However, paternity testing is not cheap or easily accessible. The only Irish laboratory offering the service is at University College Galway and it charges around £700 to take blood samples which are then sent to the UK for analysis. This is all set to change, thanks to a company in Kent, England which claims to offer do-it-yourself paternity kits, by mail order.
For £298 sterling, the DNA Testing Agency will analyse DNA samples taken "in the comfort of your own home" by simply wiping a cotton wool bud inside the mouths of the child and the father. Post the results to the agency and five weeks later, your life may be changed forever. Concern about the ethics of the test and the possible effects on relationships has been voiced strongly in Britain, with one MP calling for a ban on this non-medical use of DNA. The company's adverts, which have appeared in British newspapers, ask: "Whose child is it? Are you really the father? Paternity testing is no longer the preserve of the courts or spurned mistresses. The curious, suspicious or disbelieving who just want peace of mind can now conduct paternity checks."
Although the company seems not to have been available for comment since the story hit the headlines, an answerphone message asks callers to leave contact details if they would like information "in a plain envelope". Margot Doherty of the Federation of Services for Unmarried Parents and their Children believes it is important for children to know who their parents are, and anything which makes this easier is welcome: "DNA testing in Ireland is totally inadequate and if this test is reliable, then we would welcome the reduction in cost."
It seems unlikely, however, that results from this DIY test will stand up in court. According to the director of the Cytogenetics Unit at UCG, Prof James Houghton, "guaranteed preservation and continuity of evidence" is essential if the results are to be used in litigation. The unit has no plans to introduce the less-invasive cheek swab test since it is "open to so much error and will create fear and uncertainty". In the Galway test, mother, child and alleged father must all attend together, sign photos for ID purposes and witness the sealing of the test tubes. In addition, the blood samples are taken in sight of each other, so "there can be no question of impersonation", explains Houghton.
The mail-order tests, therefore, are likely to be used by men who harbour suspicions of female infidelity, rather than by those involved in child maintenance, access or custody cases. According to psychotherapist Donal Casey, the test is likely to be taken up by men whose sexual jealousy shows itself in paranoid and obsessive behaviour: "Giving the general public access to this test is a mistake. It could be used as a weapon in a paranoid person's artillery - and it is unlikely to satisfy him."
Although a man has a right to prove that he is not the father of a child, and therefore not liable for child support, the accessibility of paternity testing might have a disastrous effect on a basically happy relationship, which is merely going through a difficult patch.
Tony Tuit of Parental Equality warns: "If you're in a relationship, you have to trust the other person, or the relationship will fall apart. A DNA test is not a great way to start a relationship where you're going to bring up a child." Tuit is concerned about the possibility of a man not consulting the child's mother before taking a swab: "People should do it as a couple - it's not a good idea to sneak behind another's back. It could cause a glitch in the relationship, with the woman asking `Why didn't you trust me?' But I think it will be successful because playing on people's fears always works." Unlike the DNA test in Galway, the ease with which this mail-order test can be carried out is a cause for concern. According to a spokesman for the Medical Council, the matter of DNA testing for paternity has not come before the council's ethics committee.
It is a complex issue, says the chairwoman of the Children's Rights Alliance, Madeleine Clarke: "There are a number of parties involved whose rights have to be recognised. The rights of men who want to establish paternity, the rights of men who are being unfairly burdened with maintenance, the rights of women to receive support from fathers, and the rights of the children.
"Where the needs of the different parties conflict, the child's best interests are of paramount consideration." Although the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child, to which Ireland is a signatory , states that children have a right to be considered on any issue which affects them, this DNA test is not regulated and does not include safeguards to protect the vulnerable child, says Clarke. The right of men to be fathers, or not, has gained much publicity over the last few years with various celebrities pursuing paternity or non-paternity with great vigour. According to senior lecturer in applied social science at University College Cork, Harry Ferguson, if men are feeling marginalised, they are more susceptible to using any device which comes on the market.
"The latest technology is an expression of the new fathers' rights movement and the politicisation of fatherhood. But the more we institutionalise equality in gender relationship practices, the less need there will be for somewhat bizarre and dangerous devices, such as the DNA testing kit."