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Article: Public opinion on DNA paternity testing: the influence of the media.
- Article from:
- People and Place
- Article date:
- June 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Monash University, Centre for Population and Urban Research. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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There has been a substantial shift of opinion among Australians in support of DNA paternity testing without the knowledge of the mother. The shift has been driven by the influence of the media, fanned by the fathers' rights movement.
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By far the most contentious public policy issue in relation to DNA paternity testing is the status of those tests conducted without the knowledge or consent of the mother. Such tests are usually arranged by men, and involve comparison of samples from a man and his putative child. On this account they are often described as 'motherless tests', although not all motherless tests are done without the knowledge of the ...