How Does Infidelity Testing Work?

Maybe you’ve been suspicious about the behavior of your partner lately and wonder if they are having an affair but don’t know how to find out. Have you found unexplained stains on a pair of underwear or sheets with signs of sexual activity? Or perhaps you’ve found stains in his car or on the furniture that can’t be explained?  Is there a way to prove your husband or wife is having an affair? How does Infidelity DNA Testing really work?  What kind of forensic infidelity tests are there to test for adultery?

Most Common Infidelity Tests

Semen Detection

The semen detection test used by Validity Genetics is a test to detect semenogelin. This test is highly accurate and specific to human semen. It will detect even the most diluted samples of semen or semen mixed with other body fluids. Put plainly, this semen test will not cross react with other proteins or enzymes and will not cause a false positive result.  For this very reason it is the semen detection test governmental crime and forensic labs use to confirm the presence of semen on a sample. It is the gold standard in criminal and forensic cases.

The Semen Detection Test will have two possible results:

• Negative: Semen was not detected.

• Positive: Semen was detected.

Please Note: Semen can be detected by our Semen Detection test, but may not have DNA present in a high enough quantity to obtain a DNA profile. This can be for many different reasons. The donor may be possibly vasectomized, oligospermic, or aspermic.

What to do after a positive Semen Detection Test

If a positive test result is reported, and enough visible sperm are present to warrant supplemental testing we recommend that an Infidelity Test be performed. This test will extract the profile(s) from the sample and can compare your, or anothers, DNA against the profiles found.

A positive result for the presence of semen without detection of male DNA can mean that either the male DNA is present in extremely low amounts relative to any DNA present, or that the male contributor is possibly vasectomized, oligospermic, or aspermic. An infidelity test may be performed when no sperm is visible at a clients discretion; however, results are not guaranteed.

Please note that the type of Semen Detection Test used by our Laboratory does not cross react with other fluids to produce false positives even if there is no sperm/DNA present.

Infidelity DNA Test

A DNA Infidelity Test is the ultimate test for those who want to get peace of mind or to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that their partner is being unfaithful. DNA in humans is 99.9 percent identical.  It’s the last 0.1 percent of the DNA profile that makes each of us unique.  Comparing those sections of the DNA that are different is how we determine if two samples of DNA come from the same person. The chances of another person’s DNA matching yours are a billion to one. There’s no denying the presence of DNA that doesn’t belong to you. If you’ve found underwear, clothing, panty liners, or other items with signs of semen or sexual activity it can be tested for DNA.  Testing is normally completed within five to ten business days and can tell you if the semen or DNA in a stain is yours or someone else’s.

Our Advanced Infidelity Test is a DNA comparison test that shows you if DNA is present, the gender, if your reference DNA profile (or other sample you provide) matches what is produced from the sample, and display the DNA profiles found.  The reference sample is usually in the form of a buccal or cheek swab, but many different items can be used. This test is done when you want to confirm that any DNA present does or does not belong to you or your partner. This test is most commonly done as an Autosomal test but can be run as a Y-STR test to test for only male DNA markers.

Example Infidelity Test Results

Semen Detection Test Results Example:

Explanation of Semen Detection Results

Item #### produced a POSITIVE result for the presence of semen. Semen was detected on this item - Semen was found on the Special Sample

Item #### produced a NEGATIVE result for the presence of semen. Semen was not detected on this item - Semen was not found on the Special Sample

Please note, our Semen Detection test does not give false positives. But may not always be able to generate a DNA profile if additional testing is performed.

Infidelity Test Results Examples:

Explanation of Infidelity Test Results

DNA from a Male/Female contributor was detected on item #### - DNA was detected on the Special Sample tested

DNA was not detected on item #### - DNA was not detected on the Special Sample tested

Samples produced a DNA profile from a Male/Female contributor - If DNA was detected on a Special Sample this will clearly state whether the profile found is Male or Female

Samples produced a Mixed DNA profile from a Male and Female contributor - If DNA was detected on a Special Sample from multiple sources this will state that both Male and Female DNA was found

The DNA profile obtained from Reference Swab is consistent with the DNA profile(s) obtained from items #### tested and cannot be excluded as a contributor - The DNA profile found on the Special Sample matches the DNA profile on the Reference Swab

The DNA profile obtained from Reference Swab is inconsistent with the DNA profile(s) obtained from items #### tested and can be excluded as a contributor - The DNA profile found on the Special Samples does not match the DNA profile on the Reference Swab and can be ruled out as a contributor

Item produced a mixed DNA profile from (multiple) contributors. At least one contributor is Male and one contributor is Female. The gender(s) of (multiple) contributor(s) is indeterminate - The DNA found is a mixture. Depending on if any of the DNA profiles are present as a comparison we may not be able to separate all the profiles from one another. While we may be able to put a number to how many contributors are found we may not be able to give an exact amount of contributors or specify which contributors are male and which are female.

Other Types of Infidelity Tests

Another infidelity testing option is DNA Detection Test. This will determine if DNA is present and if it’s male or female or a mixture of people. This test is used when you only need to know if there is male or female DNA present on a item. For example, if you want to know if male DNA is present on female clothing or vice versa. This type of test does not include a comparison reference swab or display any DNA profiles found.

Saliva Detection tests can be performed much like a Semen Detection Test. It will only test for the presence of saliva.

Contact us to see how we can help or to build an Infidelity Test that is specific to your needs. For this and more information on DNA and Paternity testing write us at: Info@ValidityGenetics.com or through Facebook messenger to chat with a representative.