Siblingship Test
Whatever the reason for requesting a Siblingship test, the reasons are always compelling and often life changing. This is why most organizations offer tests which can be sent home, for the individuals to carry out in privacy and be sent via post. This type of siblingship test is known as an 'in-home' test, which, because of the nature in which it is carried out, cannot be used as legal evidence. If a siblingship test is required for legal use then the samples must be collected and sent to the laboratory by a medical practitioner.
The samples themselves are simply buccal (mouth) swabs made from synthetic Dacron, which is much like cotton wool but retains the cells needed for the test much better. All the participants need to do is rub one swab against the inside of their left cheek and then rub another one on the inside of their right cheek. Each swab must then be sealed in an envelope, marked and sent away to the laboratory for testing. Most siblingship tests can be bought from an agency or company through their website, although it's also often possible to order over the phone, via email or post as well. Once the swabs have been sent away it usually takes 3 to 5 working days for the results to be returned and the company will usually ask the customer how they would like this to be done, as it is a sensitive issue.
There are two main types of siblingship test- the first is a test to see if two individuals are full siblings (i.e. that they share the same Mother and Father). The second test is to see if two individuals are half siblings (i.e. that they share one parent but not both). In the case of the latter type of test it is encouraged for the known mutual parent to also take part in the swab testing as this allows the laboratory staff to eliminate that person's DNA from the siblings' and produce much more conclusive results. If this isn't possible then the test will still be carried out as normal, but the results may not be quite as reliable.
Having a Siblingship test carried out feels like a life altering event for all parties who take part, yet what they don't know is that siblingship tests happen remarkably frequently. This type of genetic testing is one of the most accurate, reliable and non intrusive ways to determine blood relations possible today.