The incidental discovery of nonpaternity through genetic carrier screening: an exploration of lay attitudes.

With advances in genetic medicine, paternity is increasingly being determined by genetic rather than social markers. In this article, the author examines the complex nature of paternity and the way in which it has been constructed socially, legally, and medically. She then presents the results from an empirical study on public attitudes toward genetic testing and paternity. In particular, she examines lay attitudes toward an ethical dilemma posed by the incidental discovery of nonpaternity during the process of genetic testing for a recessively inherited disease. She concludes the article by drawing attention to the potential problems inherent in the intervention of genetic medicine into family relationships.