It is an undeniable fact that in absence of a paternity test millions of women have duped an equal number of men to father kids that are not theirs. The numbers of such paternity frauds are just too high to overlook.
Paternity fraud is when a man is falsely identified by the mother as the biological father of her child. In almost all cases of such frauds, men are victims of bad decisions made by women.
It is important to note that it is not always due to confusion that arises from the promiscuous nature of a woman. In most paternity frauds women choose to misattribute the kid with complete awareness. In some cases, adult men and even minor boys are raped by adult women to meet their financial needs by their victims.
Privilege Of Paternity Knowledge
Paternity frauds are one of the blazing curses of our so-called modern society. As a mother every woman has this biological advantage over men with which they cannot be duped to become a mother of someone they did not birth. Women can choose to mother a kid but seldom be a victim of paternity fraud(because ‘maternity fraud’ is not even a thing).
Men on the other hand have to completely rely on women’s words. Unless they request to get a paternity test. Surprisingly, when a man seeks such a test he is looked down on and labeled toxic even for proposing such a thing.
Every man needs to know the following three things
- What is a Paternity Test?
- How likely it is for a man to be a victim of paternity fraud
- How to save yourself from paternity frauds
Paternity Test, Methods, Cost, And Requirements
A paternity test is a test that determines whether a person is the father of a particular child. There are two prevalent and conclusive methods for this.
- Blood tests
- Cheek swabs
Both these methods extract DNA from the father’s and child’s samples. Then they compare their genetic sequence. If both samples match the said person (with 99.9% accuracy) is the father of the child.
Paternity tests cost around $60-$200, but the expense can go as high as $500 if it is done under legal circumstances. Remember, health insurance does not cover this cost. You can expect results in about two days, but some labs offer one-day results with additional cost.
Paternity tests are done for several reasons, the following are the most common ones.
- Gain legal rights
- To identify paternity fraud
- Get money by child support
- Claim child custody
- Social security benefits
- Inheritance issues
- To identify genetic conditions
Statistics On Paternity Frauds
According to research one in every 25 fathers is a victim of paternity fraud
However, these numbers are drawn only from the reported cases. The actual number is most certainly way higher than this. Why do you ask?
This data is derived only from the women who willingly participated in the study. But think this for a minute, A mother who knows her child does not have a biological origin to the father she attributed to would most likely never participate in such studies. Hence, this data is extremely likely to have skewed on the lower side.
One analysis of 67 studies published in Chicago Journals says
“A survey of 67 studies reporting nonpaternity suggests that for men with high paternity confidence rates of nonpaternity are(excluding studies of unknown methodology) typically 1.9%”
KermytG.Anderson (Chicago Journals)
While for fathers whose paternity confidence is unknown, non-paternity rates were 16.7%. The median non-paternity has turned out to be 3.3%
Paternity Fraud Consequences
The numbers mentioned above might seem very small but even 1-2% amount to millions of paternity frauds. We need to remember, it is not only about knowing and not knowing. The emotional devastation such frauds unleash on a father is beyond description. There are cited incidences where men have committed suicide.
As if this is not enough, the legal system not only ignores paternity fraud, men are compelled to provide financial support for a child who isn’t even his. There are multiple cases where men who have been raped by women are forced by US courts to pay child support to their rapists.
Even with such harsh consequences, there is no legal remedy for the victims. Paternity fraud is not a punishable crime. Because of this, it is near to impossible to recover financial losses from the mother in question.
Empower Men By Paternity Knowledge.
When a father is unsure of his relation to the kid, not only does the father suffer but even the kid sufferers. They both struggle to form a bond the way a father and his child are meant to.
Paternity knowledge is the tool that will help vindicate or exonerate the mother and make children understand their origin. It is necessary for better health care of the children. If there is any genetic disease in any of the biological parents, it benefits the child to take preventive actions as early as possible.
With this in mind, paternity frauds are not deceiving fathers only but it is indeed a cruel play with kids and their health.
Question is, should new fathers be entitled to a paternity test? Should the test be compulsory in maternity homes?
Read More: The reality of Male Victims: The Darkroom overlooked by Media, Law, and Health Industry