DNA Kit

The DNA Kits (or sample collection kit) makes collecting your samples very easy. A kit has made collecting samples for a DNA test something which can be done efficiently from your home. The kits show little variations from company to company and the method for collecting the samples is pretty much the same.

How do I collect samples with the DNA kit?

The DNA kit will be sent to you house- meaning it is an at home kit- and in it you find mouth swabs. These mouth swabs look like cotton buds but they are a bit longer and have cotton on just one end of the stick. Also, the swabs are sterile and packed individually or in little packs of two.

Swabs such as these are often used by doctors when collecting tissue samples and are not only used for tests. These swabs however, are referred to as mouth/buccal swabs; although they are not very different to other swabs used for swabbing other parts of the body.

The Buccal swabs in the at home kit are very easy to use. You just rub them inside the mouth to collect your DNA. DNA isn’t exactly floating all over your mouth and spit but it is found in the cells which line the mouth. When you rub something against the sides of your mouth these cells come away and will stick to the surface of whatever has rubbed against them- this has made testing really simple and straightforward. Most testing for relationships will use this method; Y chromosome testing, paternity testing, infidelity tests.

In the kit you will have a few steps to follow to help you collect your DNA and use the mouth swabs correctly. The home testing kit will usually be sent to your house or wherever you wish it to be sent.

Do I pay for the kit?

The sample collection kit is normally delivered after having received the payment and is part of the whole cost of lets say a paternity test- this is very much the standard for most testing companies. Sending free kits may mean incurring the cost of the postage and the kit if the client changes his or her mind and decided not to go ahead with the test. Many companies will also settle for a partial payment before having the kit delivered and the rest sent at a later stage. The DNA kits have gone a long way in making testing convenient and also cheaper.