WASHINGTON: A swab, a consent form, an envelope and a waiting period of three to five business days is all there is to settling paternity issues with the test kit that went on sale Wednesday at some US drug stores.

Identigene, which runs a DNA testing laboratory, said its DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit went on sale at the 4,363 Rite Aid drug stores throughout the United States, except New York.

The swab in the 30-US-dollar kit is used to collect a saliva sample, to be mailed to the Identigene laboratory for an analysis that costs additional 119 US dollars.

It takes three to five business days to get the test results, which are delivered by mail, email, or online through a secured Web service.

The paternity test kit is already a hit in California, Washington and Oregon states, where they have been selling on a trial basis since November, Identigene said.

"Demand has been very strong, store sales are brisk and Identigene has been inundated with questions regarding the product's availability," it said in a statement.

Test kit buyers include women who want to know the identity of father of their child -- or unborn child -- as well as people looking for their parents.

Sold without prescription, the paternity kits are not allowed as evidence in court, where more precise and costly DNA tests are required. - AFP/fa