MESSAGE
| DATE | 2005-08-12 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Know your rights, all three of them
|
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Perhaps one out of every 25 dads could
unknowingly be raising another man's child, a finding that has huge
health and social implications, according to report released Wednesday.
Exposing so-called paternal discrepancy -- when a child is identified
as being biologically fathered by someone other than the man who
believes he is the father -- could lead to family violence and the
breakup of many families. On the other hand, leaving paternal
discrepancy hidden means having the wrong genetic information, which
could have health consequences.
A UK-based research team reviewed scientific research dealing with
paternity published between 1950 and 2004 and reports that rates of
paternal discrepancy range from less than 1 percent to as much as 30
percent.
The investigation also showed that becoming pregnant at a younger age,
low socioeconomic status, and being in a long-term relationship rather
than being married seem to be linked to greater likelihood of paternal
discrepancy.
It is generally believed that rates of paternal discrepancy are less
than 10 percent. A paternal discrepancy rate of 4 percent means that
one in 25 families could be affected.
However, soaring rates of paternity testing in North America and Europe
means more cases of paternal discrepancy will be identified in the
years ahead, Professor Mark A. Bellis, from the Center for Public
Health at the Liverpool John Moores University, and colleagues point
out in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
In the United States, for example, rates of paternity testing more than
doubled between 1991 and 2001. The increasing use of genetic testing
for diagnosis and treatment of disease as well as in judicial
procedures will also yield more opportunities to uncover cases where a
father, unbeknownst to him, is not the biological parent.
"Modern genetic techniques continue to open a Pandora's box on hitherto
hidden aspects of human sexual behavior," the investigators write.
Exposing such situations will inevitably affect not only deceived dads
but also their family and potentially the biological father. Leaving
paternal discrepancy undiagnosed, on the other hand, leaves those
affected with incorrect genetic information that could prove harmful.
What's urgently needed, the authors say, is guidance on how and when
paternal discrepancy should be exposed.
At present, most cases that are inadvertently identified are ignored by
whoever uncovers the situation.
"However, in a society where services and life decisions are
increasingly influenced by genetics, our approach to paternal
discrepancy cannot be simply to ignore this difficult issue but must be
informed by what best protects the health of those affected," Bellis
and colleagues argue.
SOURCES: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, August 2005.
http://today.reuters.com/news/ newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNe
ws&storyI...
El Ramon
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