By Sharon Begley

They're called discreet DNA samples, and the Elk Grove, Calif., genetic-testing company easyDNA says it can handle many kinds, from toothpicks to tampons.

Blood stains from bandages and tampons? Ship them in a paper envelope for paternity, ancestry or health testing. EasyDNA also welcomes cigarette butts (two to four), dental floss ("do not touch the floss with your fingers"), razor clippings, gum, toothpicks, licked stamps and used tissues if the more standard cheek swab or tube of saliva isn't obtainable.

If the availability of such services seems like an invitation to mischief or worse — imagine a discarded tissue from a prospective employee being tested to determine whether she's at risk for an expensive disease, for instance — the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues agrees.

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Source: Reuters