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Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

theatlantic.com

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Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#63
post #57

Some countries, like for example France, make DNA tests pretty much illegal to prevent discovering painful truths like this.

That's terribly oppressive. Honestly no one should be forced to directly support other person child. It must be a voluntary process to be just. The biological parents should be financially responsible by default. It seems obvious to me.

Voluntary process? You mean to remove child support laws completely?

That would be great for deadbeats of course.

The law is so designed as to limit social impact of a missing parent.

It is also unethical to bring a child into this world and then leave it just like that, unless you're a proponent of the spartan way which comprised murdering weak.

The current child care facilities cannot even support current orphans.

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#64
post #58
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe part of the issue is an over-emphasis on "fidelity". People have always played around - or to be frank, many women have been assaulted and had to keep it quiet - maybe the best outcome would be more open communication and understanding between couples rather than even more prescriptive social norms about how relationships should work.

No. If one was raped it should be reported and the perpetrator should be prosecuted. You cannot let these people go unpunished and potentially rape others.

That is a vastly simplistic view of rape and sexual assault and comes very close to victim blaming. In many societies there is a stigma attached to sexual assault victims, even in western society many victims get blamed: "why was she wearing that dress?", "why was she in the club on her own if she was in a relationship?", "why did she walk through the park at night on her own?", "maybe she went home with him and just regretted it the next day".

As terrible as it is, for some people the best way to handle their trauma is to never speak of it and pretend it never happened. Going to the police can cause all sorts of problems, as you have to relive the trauma as you fill out your victim statement, as you go to court, as everyone around you feels pity, like you're damaged goods.

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#65
Regarding the misattributed paternity numbers/rates:

Obviously interviewing people isn't going to reveal the correct numbers: If a mother isn't going to tell her child, or doesn't know [switched in the maternity ward, chimera, multiple partners] chances are they aren't going to tell some random researcher either.

However, there was some interesting research at a hospital in the UK (maybe Bristol ?) which tested the men which were present at the birth of the child against the child, and the numbers are rather high - something above 1 in 20. And this is for the men that were present.

Something which should be more common knowledge.

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#66

Some countries, like for example France, make DNA tests pretty much illegal to prevent discovering painful truths like this.

I think it a grave offense to the dignity of men and women to deprive them if vital truths like this. The French really have fallen

I don't think that the French have fallen at all, but rather that attitude has been part of French culture for a long time.

As an example, it has been illegal since Napoleonic times for the French government to collect data on ancestry or ethnicity.

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#67

You mean misattributed paternity. Misattributed parentage happens mainly to men. It's a much more involved process to defraud a woman of her child than a man.

It's not unknown for women to come home from hospital with the wrong baby. Here's an example from earlier this year: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/wrong-newbor...

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#68
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess the two mechanisms that come to mind: 1. Drug and kidnap the woman, implant an embryo that isn't hers, and bring her back home without her finding out. 2. Switch the baby with another plausible-looking one in the hospital. (I have heard this happens more than one might expect. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-08-16/features/1998228... says "About 28,000 babies get switched in hospitals every year, tempor…

An IVF mixup is another... Or a kid who was unknowingly raised by their grandparents is an example where you’d see both parents misattributed.

> Or a kid who was unknowingly raised by their grandparents is an example where you’d see both parents misattributed.

I know a guy who this happened to. He got a Mormon girl pregnant and was basically paid to go away, and the child was raised by the grandparents.

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#69
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. If one was raped it should be reported and the perpetrator should be prosecuted. You cannot let these people go unpunished and potentially rape others.

That is a vastly simplistic view of rape and sexual assault and comes very close to victim blaming. In many societies there is a stigma attached to sexual assault victims, even in western society many victims get blamed: "why was she wearing that dress?", "why was she in the club on her own if she was in a relationship?", "why did she walk through the park at night on her own?", "maybe she went home with him and just…

I doubt that "for some people the best way to handle their trauma is to never speak of it and pretend it never happened" is actually true. I would like to see some study that proves that.

Otherwise you just empower the rapists for no justifiable reason.

And even if there is some personal net benefit for not telling anyone. Is it more important than saving others from potentially the same harm?

Re: Consumer DNA tests revealing misattributed parentage

#70
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's terribly oppressive. Honestly no one should be forced to directly support other person child. It must be a voluntary process to be just. The biological parents should be financially responsible by default. It seems obvious to me.

Voluntary process? You mean to remove child support laws completely? That would be great for deadbeats of course. The law is so designed as to limit social impact of a missing parent. It is also unethical to bring a child into this world and then leave it just like that, unless you're a proponent of the spartan way which comprised murdering weak. The current child care facilities cannot even support current orphans.

No, that is not what I meant. I meant that the biological parents should be financially responsible for their child by default. If someone wants to voluntarily take over the responsibility it is fine. But the state should not force you to sponsor someone else biological child as if it was yours. It has nothing to do with funding poor and orphaned children through general taxes, this is a wholly different situation and by the way I'm in favor of that.
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