Paternity testing and the biological determination of fatherhood

The introduction, availability, and marketing of a transparent and decisive method for determining genetic connections, while irrefutably solving the issue of biological paternity has posed new challenges about the precise constitution and meaning of fatherhood. This article presents the results of a qualitative study of the experience of paternity testing specifically from the perspective of men who were tested or who were unsure of paternity. It presents data on these men's own perceptions of fatherhood. What the study found was that, while biology mattered and the testing was important to men, it did not always solve important issues around fathering and nongenetic ties.