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Do-It-Yourself Paternity Tests Now Available At Duane Reade

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IDENTIGENE DNA Paternity Test Kit for New York Residents, the first DNA test ever sold over-the-counter at drug stores (in New York). (Credit: Identigene)

IDENTIGENE DNA Paternity Test Kit for New York Residents, the first DNA test ever sold over-the-counter at drug stores (in New York). (Credit: Identigene)

MonaRivera

Reporting Mona Rivera

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Who’s your daddy? Getting the answer to that question has just become a lot easier for New Yorkers.

A trip to the neighborhood drug store is now all you’ll need to get a paternity test. New York has become the 50th state to start selling DNA paternity kits made by Identigene at retail outlets.

Similar DNA kits have been available for purchase over-the-counter in New York, however, this is the first capable of identifying paternity.

A Long Island Duane Reade clerk tells 1010 WINS’ Mona Rivera that no one has bought the kit yet


The do-it-yourself kits are being sold at Duane Reade stores across the state for $29.99. The tests will be administered at the store’s walk-in clinics for a total cost, which covers lab fees and other charges, of about $300.

Steve Smith, the executive director of Identigene, said the cost is still significantly cheaper than the traditional paternity testing process carried out at private labs.

According to state law, buyers must get authorization from a doctor or lawyer and have the test witnessed by third parties.

Some customers are shocked.

“It blows my mind, I can’t even imagine,” one man said. “Over the counter DNA tests…I’m not so sure I feel so good about that.”

A clerk at a Duane Reade in New Hyde Park said no one has bought the kit yet.

What do you think of the paternity kits being sold at Duane Reade? Let us know below!

View Comments
  • Stanley Kay

    And yet New York remains one of the only states that regulate the shipment of personal DNA Kit test results through the mail. I don’t understand the point of requiring doctors to authorize the test, besides eroding confidentiality and the motivation for buyers to explore their own DNA.

    Source: http://www.dnakits.us

  • cash

    your so right and it would be alot less whites since its more whites on welfare then any other race and thats a know fact do your research

  • CleverDude

    Great product marketing idea. Having the paternity test kit and the pregancy test kit on the same shelf as the condom package just has to increase the sale of barrier devices. Even if the store only sells one kit a month it is worth the shelf space and stocking cost. Absolute genius.

  • Mark Zimpua Thompson

    There goes Maurry Provich show!!

  • Tom Kron

    I’d laugh if the kit is just two zip lock bags, qtips, and a “Place Stamp Here” addressed envelope. Imagine the laughter when getting the results, tested by ex-TSA, CBS News and Burger King employees.

  • Brad

    Available to trailer courts and inner city cesspools near you!

  • DanTe

    How’s this going to help? My tax dollars are still paying for these slimes. Now free over-the-counter abortion pills, THAT I will gladly pay taxes to subsidize.

  • Shelly

    Now it’s time for an “At Home” pap test. They are already available in Australia and parts of Europe for around $40. More women will be able to test for cervical cancer because the test will be affordable and can be done at home. It’s about time for this. The test in Australia also tests for HPV and will not only tell you if you have it, but the STRAIN of HPV you have. It’s basically a tampon type item that you insert for 10 seconds and then send to the lab to be read.

  • nana

    doug, you need to go back to school, you can’t spell, terrible

  • Sharon

    I have used this product twice here in Indiana to find out if two babies from two different Mothers were my Sons babies. They are easy to use and got results in about eight business days. Baby number one wasn’t his and baby number two was his. We were able to find out paternity when the babies were four and six weeks old. It made it a little easier for us to disconnect from the baby that was not his before we got to attached to her.

    • fordfkyer

      Educate Your son to be more responsible than to father children out of wedlock.

    • Identigene

      This is great to hear. We enjoy hearing stories from our customers. Thank you for the great review.

  • sanjosemike

    Does this mean that welfare rolls will get even bigger and that the rest of us (the small share who still pay taxes) will be hung with the bill for child raising?

  • nathan

    Cool. I’ll finally know who my daddy is.

  • kyle

    Does this mean talk show host Maury is going to be out of a job soon? lol

  • Jerseyjoey

    hoengo nomo

  • davec

    Too bad they didnt have these when Jesus was born.

    Poor man, all the ridicule and abuse at Carpentry school

    “Hey, here comes Jesus. Watch this”

    “HEY JESUS, WHOS YO’ DADDY?”

    Jesus, Mary and…

  • davec

    So much for the saying “Whos your Daddy”…

  • MD

    Of course (a) requires a sample from the dad too, so not likely women will buy it without the dad knowing (b) many states have “statute of limitations” on paternity, if you don’t contest it in the first year or two, you aren’t going to get out of it if you find 5 or 10 years after that you have been lied to.

    You could end up like the guy in Texas, forbidden contact with all 3 of “his kids” because he told them what he’d found out after the divorce judge told him not to discuss it with them… but of course, still paying support.

    Some stdies suggest up to 5% to 10% of claimed paternity is a fraud.

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