Celebrate Your Siblings

Happy National Siblings Day! Siblings Day Foundation founder Claudia Evart was inspired to create a recognized day to celebrate and honor siblings after losing her own siblings early on in life. She chose April 10 specifically, as it is the birthday of her late sister.

Evart’s goal is to create a nationally known holiday, similar to Mother’s and Father’s day. Do something nice for your sibling today to let them know how much you appreciate them.

Because today is National Siblings Day, we’d like to remind you of our Siblingship DNA Test. If you want to know if siblings share one or both biological parents in common, a Siblingship DNA Test can determine the statistical probability of whether they are half or full siblings, or unrelated.

Get Tested & Spread the Word: World AIDS Month

As December brings the holiday hustle and bustle, all of us at ANY LAB TEST NOW® don’t want you to forget that it’s World AIDS Month.

A shocking number of over 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV. HIV and AIDS are closely related as AIDS is classified as the final stage of HIV.

December is set aside each year to bring awareness to what AIDS can cause and how to prevent it from spreading further. Getting a lab test is the only way to truly know if you or your partner have contracted the disease. It’s important for you to know what’s going on in your body for your sake and for the safety of others around you.

Get yourself familiar at www.aids.gov to learn all you can about AIDS 101, prevention, what to know if you’re recently diagnosed and how to stay healthy once you have been diagnosed. Also, check out these lists of STD and HIV tests that we make available to you!

Raising Awareness for Health Centers During Health Center Week

Have you ever noticed that when you get sick you always feel the need to find out what’s wrong? Who wants to go another day with a tummy ache, a sore throat or the dreaded sinus headache and congestion? Believe it or not that’s one of the many benefits provided by health centers. You might start asking yourself… “But I don’t have insurance, so how can I get service?” The good news is you have options at your disposal that will empower you to Take Control of Your Health® whether you have high deductible insurance, a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account, or if you are uninsured.

A great example of available options is ANY LAB TEST NOW®. Though ANY LAB TEST NOW® does not treat or diagnose, it does empower its customers to be proactive about managing their health by providing direct access to blood tests, DNA tests, drug and alcohol testing as well as other lab testing services. After you get your lab test results, you can quickly call a physician with our AmeriDoc telemedicine services program. The doctor is just a phone call a way, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can treat many non-emergent care issues by phone, video call, or chat.

According the National Association of Community Health Centers, there are around 44 million people in the U.S. that are currently uninsured with another 56 million with high deductible insurance. This often makes health take a back seat to cost, which stresses the importance of price transparency. Can you take more good news? ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s affordable, transparent prices fit into a person’s healthcare budget, providing a solution that continues to support overall health and wellness. Don’t let your health take a back seat, without it we are nothing.

During the week of August 11 – 17 the nation celebrates Health Center Week. Why not take the time during this week to stop by a health center near you, check in on your health and thank them for helping to empower you and your loved ones to Take Control of Your Health®?

To learn more about ANY LAB TEST NOW®’s lab testing options stop by an ANY LAB TEST NOW® near you or visit www.anylabtestnow.com

Paternity Doubts?

Regardless of whether you are an alleged father, mother, child or grandparent, dealing with questionable paternity brings on a rollercoaster of emotions that have an impact on your everyday life. You may feel angry or disappointed. You may feel complete confusion, or even embarrassment. The last thing you want to feel is judged.

Feeling these types of emotions is normal, especially when your relationship with your child and even other family members, partners or friends, is in question. Believe it or not, you are not alone. But, because you want the question to go away, the question running through your mind when you first make that step to know the truth is…“I just want to know.” You want the feelings and the cloud of doubt hanging over you to go away – NOW. However before making the decision to get a paternity test done, it is important to step back and approach the situation with a clear mind. What you do now may affect your, and most importantly, the child’s, future. The most important step to take before going through the test itself is to ask yourself, “Once I know…What am I ultimately going to do with the answer and test results?”.

The reason this step is so important is because there are two types of paternity tests. One type of DNA test is “informational”, also called a “peace of mind” DNA test or “self-collection kit. Although the DNA testing process is the same as for a legally-admissible paternity test, described further below, there is no chain-of-custody or identification information. As with kits purchased over-the-counter, there are also no guarantees on whose DNA is submitted if samples are not collected in front of each other. This means the test results cannot be used for any other purpose than to let you know the answer to the paternity question. That’s it – no names, no ID’s, nothing but a probability of paternity.

The most common type of paternity test is a Legally Admissible DNA Test. Remember that there are many factors that can change yours and the child’s lives after you have the test results that go beyond just knowing an answer. Will you or did you complete the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity at the time of the child’s birth? You may need proper evidence to either add or remove your name in that case. Are you going to utilize the results to change your child’s name on their birth certificate? Will you be asking for any kind of financial benefits, such as child support? Will you be seeking child custody, social security or military benefits? Then you need paternity test results that will be accepted as legal evidence. These test results not only clear you of doubts but also help you get the aid that you, your child and your family need.

Everyone’s situation and circumstance is a bit different. Either way, it is safe to say that the process can be no fun at all. For that reason, it is important to find a partner that will make the process go as simple and stress-free as possible. Whether you need legally admissible results or you just want peace of mind, ANY LAB TEST NOW® is here to help you through this emotional time. We will guide you towards the right test for your particular situation in order for you to be able to take the necessary next steps. Best of all, you can get your results in an average of only 3 business days.

For additional information visit www.anylabtestnow.com or call your local ANY LAB TEST NOW® today! Don’t let a questionable paternity interfere with your relationships and daily life. The Truth is Waiting.

Texas Mistaken Paternity Law’s Deadline Around the Corner

Having a child is one of the most rewarding things in life. Sadly cases of mistaken paternity, where an individual is forced to take emotional and financial responsibility of a child that is not biologically theirs arise every day. In May 2011 Section 161.005 of the Texas Family Code was amended to allow any man to challenge the paternity of his child with a court admissible DNA test, regardless of how long ago he found out the child was not biologically his or had signed an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP). If test results find the man not to be the biological father of the child, the court must terminate that person’s parent child relationship as well as their child support order.

This law, however, came with a deadline of September 1^st, 2012. This deadline fast approaches with only 5 days left for fathers in Texas that suspect mistaken paternity to get a court admissible DNA test. Once the deadline has passed every father that suspects mistaken paternity has a total of 12 months from the date of discovery to file their petition to terminate parental rights along with child support orders.

Mistaken paternity can be a stressful and complicated process for all involved. If there are doubts present, getting a court admissible DNA test is the best option to begin the process. ANY LAB TEST NOW® offers this test for men that find themselves in this predicament.

Entities like TexasLawHelp.org and local family attorneys can provide you with additional information and instructions for filing a Termination of Mistaken Paternity petition. For information and details about the court admissible DNA test or to find your nearest ANY LAB TEST NOW® Texas location visit https://www.anylabtestnow.com/

Got a Refund? Get a Paternity Test

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 41% of all babies are born out-of-wedlock (2009). This rate has been inching up year after year. Unfortunately, this also results in more highly-emotional relationship situations between the mother, the alleged father and even their families when it comes time to establish paternity for the child, who is ultimately affected by his or her parents’ reactions and decisions.

When a mother or father inquires about a paternity test, they most commonly state they just want to know the answer, is he or is he not the father; and they want to know quickly. Urgency is a given – these parents are dealing with so many emotions, ranging from anger to frustration to confusion to trying to decide whether or not they should bond with the baby yet. Many purchase what is called an “informational paternity test” or “self-collection kit” because it is the cheapest. Yet, is it the right test?

Here are the most common ways people ultimately use their paternity test results:

Seek or deny child support
Seek or deny child custody or visitation
Seek military, health insurance or social security benefits
Add or rescind a father’s name on the child’s birth certificate
Adoption

This is the sad part: Parents buy the cheapest test, because it is what they can afford to answer their question. Yet, does it? No. These test results cannot be used to solve the most common ways people use paternity test results! In these instances, they must have a legally-admissible test result document – no other option.

It’s tough when you are a parent in this position; however, you have to get past the “I just want to know” and move towards what’s in the best interest of the child; how you and your family will be able to more quickly bond and develop a strong relationship with the baby when you know the answer; and relieving all of those emotions that ultimately show up when there are paternity questions.

If you didn’t have the money before, maybe now is the time. Many people will be getting their tax refunds this quarter. Consider investing in your child’s future and your peace of mind. It is a priority.

To learn more, download our free e-book, or contact your local ANY LAB TEST NOW location.