Uses of DNA Testing in Adoption Cases
DNA testing can be used in many situations surrounding adoption, as it provides
indisputable answers and potentially life-changing evidence for those seeking information.
For adoption cases, DNA testing may be used to:
Identification and Reunion
Reuniting with one's biological family is one event in adoption cases that often requires DNA testing.
Particularly with cases from before the 1980s, information on the biological families of adopted children
was hard to access and many people relied on what little facts they knew about the adoption cases to locate
biological family members. DNA testing makes it possible for adopted children and their biological families
to definitively confirm their biological relationships.
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Adoption Registries
With the use of DNA testing on the rise in adoption cases, several registries have been established to reunite
adopted children with their biological families. These registries aim to collect DNA profiles and place them
in a database to await matches between biological relatives.
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Medical History
In addition to discovering their biological families, adopted children can also learn about their families' medical history.
If adopted children know who their biological families are, they can determine the genetic health risks they may have.
If they do not know who their biological families are or the health risks their families may have passed on to them,
adopted children can undergo genetic screening. Genetic screening allows scientists to review adopted children's
DNA to locate potential illnesses or health concerns that they may have inherited from their biological families.
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International Adoption Requirements
Another use of DNA testing is in international adoption cases. In response to The Hague Convention on Intercountry
Adoption, many countries require that birthparents undergo DNA testing with their child to be adopted. By proving
that the parents are biologically related to the child before choosing an adoption plan, the adoption agency
and/or government agency can be sure that the parents willingly placed the child into adoption and did not lose
the child because of coercion or the adoption black market.
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Peace of Mind
Finally, DNA testing is often used in adoption cases to provide
peace of mind
to individuals. Sometimes biological
family members and adopted children do not want to be reunited, but they would prefer having the peace of mind of
knowing their origins. Sometimes this peace of mind is accompanied by a desire to learn about the family medical history.
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