Norway co. suggests paternity test for Christmas
TROMSO, Norway -- A Norwegian company advertises that Christmas
can be the perfect time for suspicious fathers to get paternity
tests.
DNA-Test Norge, which sends samples to the United States for
analysis, says that this year is especially good because the
weak dollar makes the test cheap. Sverre Hugo Rokstad, manager
of the Tromso-based company, told the newspaper Aftenposten
that family gatherings for the holidays allow people to gather
a DNA sample on the side.
Rokstad said that in the two years since Norway eased laws
on challenging paternity, the company has arranged 500 to
600 tests. In about one-third of those cases, men have discovered
their suspicions were correct.
"The result makes the sender happy regardless of whether
it is negative or positive," Rokstad said. "Many
have lived in doubt for years."
The company advises those seeking DNA tests to submit samples
in the form of used condoms, Q-tip swabs, cigarette butts
or hunks of used chewing gum. Supplying more exotic samples
like teeth or feces -- only accepted if frozen -- increases
the cost of testing substantially.
DNA-Test Norge is the only private company in the country offering
paternity testing. A government official told Aftenposten that
she plans to determine if Christmas offers violate Norwegian
law.
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