Aunt’s corner : Dear Aunt Silvia

I am a young working and single lady. For the last one and a half years I have been dating two men at the same time. Unfortunately it’s almost two months now and I have realized that I am expecting and I don’t know who the father of my unborn child is between the two men that I have been dating. I have informed both of them that I am expecting and they are all excited. My worry is to first know the paternity of my child before I end one relationship with the man who is not the father of the baby. Please advise me on how to go about it.Rose. Dear Rose, How can you go around sleeping with two men at the same time without any protection in this era of HIV/AIDS? Why are you putting yourself at risk? Whatever game you are trying to play is it really worth putting your life at risk? Don’t you have ears to listen and eyes to see how people are suffering because of this disease? Women are left widows, men widowers and even children are left orphans and they are all suffering because of this disease, and you have the nerve to just expose your good self just like that! I would spank you if you were near me. I can’t just believe a girl of your caliber, would do such a thing today, even after coming across information on how to protect thyself. Well, my dear girl you need to change your ways especially now that you are going to be a mother. As for the paternity of your unborn child, DNA test has to be taken because we all have a unique DNA pattern that is inherited from our biological parents and is similar to theirs in molecular structure and genetic code. Because of this similarity, the DNA can be used to test and conclusively determine biological kinship. When the testing is done to determine who the father is, it is known as DNA Paternity Testing. It is about 99.99% conclusive. But I would rather you have the DNA test taken after the child is born , because both of these testing methods are not without a certain amount of risk as they are invasive procedures and should not be undertaken without the advice of an Obstetrician or Gynecologist. This type of DNA test that you need taken before the baby is born, is called a Prenatal Paternity Test. In such a case, samples of the unborn baby’s DNA are obtained through either the Chorionic Villi Sampling (CVS) procedure, in which placenta cells are collected, or the Amniocentesis Procedure, in which fetal cells from the amniotic fluid are collected. It might be safer and less expensive to have the DNA Paternity Testing done right after the child is born. This can be done by taking a blood sample from the umbilical cord. Either way, the ball is in your court to explain to each of the men as to why you need to ascertain the paternity of your child at this stage of your pregnancy. And also if they are clever men they will know that there is third party involved. Whatever the outcome you will have no one to blame but yourself. Ends