Perception of the general public towards the ethical and legal issues surrounding DNA paternity testing in Lebanon

Abstract

DNA paternity testing constitutes a challenging area, particularly in Lebanon where there is no existing law to cover the different aspects of the test. This study aimed at exploring the perception of the general public on the various ethical and legal issues surrounding DNA testing, as an initial elementary step towards creating an appropriate legislative framework for paternity testing in Lebanon. Data were collected from 300 Lebanese individuals aged 18 years and above through an online self-reported questionnaire. The majority of the respondents insisted on giving their informed consent prior to DNA testing, regardless who is requesting the test. Around three-quarters of participants think that paternity tests should be carried out in accredited laboratories, and almost all subjects (97.3%) highlighted the importance of creating a Law that regulates paternity tests in Lebanon. In terms of results communication and incidental findings disclosure, 66.3% of participants think that the results should be preferably communicated to the concerned person(s), and 64.0% required the presence of a psychologist. The vast majority of respondents prefer to be notified about misattributed paternity (90.3%) with women being significantly less comfortable with the disclosure than men (86.9% vs. 94.4%; P = 0.0492). Nevertheless, only 23% of individuals think that such results could be reported without prior consent to their family for the sake of beneficence . Moreover, both men and women had comparable perception towards reporting a misattributed paternity and the risk of violence against women (90.3% vs. 93.8%; P = 0.28). Finally, 78.7% of participants accepted the use of residual samples in future genetic analyses, but on condition of anonymity. Our findings shed the light on Lebanese individuals’ perception towards the protective role of the informed consent and the need for a legislative background in terms of privacy, autonomy , confidentiality, rights and guarantees in the context of DNA paternity testing.