Chen said people's greater awareness of the law and self-protection, plus wider social tolerance of extramarital relationships set the stage for this rising trend. "But the crisis of trust within marriage is not due to the test, which only provides scientific proof," he said.
Some experts attribute the growth of DNA paternity testing to traditional ideas that demand chastity and total loyalty from women. Given the restrictions imposed by the family planning policy, an illegitimate child might prove financially disastrous for the parents.

"The rising number of people taking DNA paternity tests indicates that the status of women and their rights in China are still confined to bearing children," said Yang Dawen, a professor of marital law at Renmin University of China who is also deputy director of the China Research Center for Marriage and the Family.

"Personally speaking, I think parents should try to love the kid, even if it's been proved that there are no blood ties, because the child already has an emotional connection with the family," he said. "But if the husband or the wife can't accept the result, or in some cases, refuses the test, their decision should also be respected."

Yang pointed out that the child might be emotionally damaged by the testing process. "We should think more about the potential harm to the child," he said.