New York City gets roadside paternity tests
Curious about your family ties but don't want to drag everyone to the doctor? If you're in New York City you just may be in luck, the "Who's your daddy?" RV collects DNA on the spot.
TIME.com's Alexandra Sifferlin reports:
A mobile clinic run by the New York company Health Street, roams around the city housed in a 28-ft RV displaying the slogan: “Who’s Your Daddy?” You’ll need a prescription from a doctor for the testing — they do paternity and other familial DNA tests — and the company offers the service on the spot for $299 and up. A technician collects your sample in the RV, then sends it to a laboratory in Ohio, and results are available in three to five business days.
That prescription factor could pose a roadblock for some folks wanting a quick test, but the test service proprietors say they've had no shortage of customers. Visitors to their RV include not only mothers and fathers looking to confirm paternity, but also grown adults curious to know whether they're related.
Nearly 500,000 paternity tests are now taken in the U.S. each year, according to Michael Baird, director of DNA Diagnostics, a DNA testing laboratory. While a number of at-home DNA tests are now available, health providers recommend sticking to tests certified by the AABB, or the American Association of Blood Banks, which gave the "Who's your daddy?" van the okay.
Photo: SharonMollerus/Flickr
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com