23andMe

[TheConsciousness]

I wouldn't be able to handle the idea of potentially knowing my fate, so I'm unlikely to ever try the health testing.

 

[dotfurio]

I believe currently DNA testing can't be used as a factor in providing health insurance. As genetic testing becomes more affordable who's to say insurance companies won't require it anyway? One of my life insurances I have, I had to pretty much have a physical - age, weight, blood test, urine test, personal medical history and family history. It wouldn't matter if my doctor did the DNA test - HIPAA or not, if I knew about an issue and didn't disclose it to the insurance company they could deny my claim later. I could totally see insurance companies adding DNA testing for common health risks to their list of requirements. As far as life insurance and other insurances, my family history (couple medical issues that run in the family) is far more likely to get me denied than my DNA results.

If they identify criminals based not on the criminals DNA but on a relative's DNA, no one really has control of if their information is out there or not. And I just can't see how catching criminals is a bad thing anyway.

For me personally, I think I'd be more interesting in knowing if I had a serious health risk, such as the BRCA gene, so I could watch for it than I would be worried about being denied insurance at some future point.

 

[Wishing on a star]

There was a thread here before, which one of these companies might be the most accurate, or give the most information.
Do any of you have any recommendations on which might be best?

 

[EllNat11]

I received the ancestry DNA one as a gift over the summer - it was fun getting the results. Nothing terribly surprising, we knew where our family hailed from. The one interesting point we found, was that the "percentage" of each area was way off from what we thought. Spoke with some older relatives, and discovered that the ancestors who immigrated from Germany were Irish, and the ones who immigrated from Ireland were French & German, it led to some nice conversation with family

 

[Kaleidodad]

and to answer your question Lowkey, I WAS the surprise!!! I found biological family that never knew I existed ( I was adopted as an infant)

I conclusively determined both my dad's biological parents using AncestryDNA, which was amazing after years of mostly fruitless research.

 

[aprilgail]

and to answer your question Lowkey, I WAS the surprise!!! I found biological family that never knew I existed ( I was adopted as an infant)

I conclusively determined both my dad's biological parents using AncestryDNA, which was amazing after years of mostly fruitless research.

DNA is WONDERFUL when you are searching for biological family- and even if you are just doing it for fun you don't even need to put your real name on the test, you can order it and mail it back under an alias and there is no record that it is attached to you so to me it is no big deal spitting in a tube.
I found my bio father using DNA (I was adopted), my daughter found a bunch of bio-half siblings (she was donor conceived) - everyone I help find their biological relatives for are all done using DNA and creating tree after tree after mirror tree until you can pinpoint who the person is you are looking for.
We did my moms and a "close relative" messaged us trying to find her moms bio father- she thought it was my moms father but we were able to narrow it down to my moms fathers brother who abandoned one family in Barbados to come here and then abandoned another one here (which is the person who was looking)- so at least they got to put a name to who they were searching for and my mom got an extra first cousin.
My brother found his bio mothers family using DNA (his mom had already passed away) and he now has a bunch more cousins! For adoptees and donor conceived people who are searching DNA is a god send!

 

[tzolkin]

you don't even need to put your real name on the test, you can order it and mail it back under an alias and there is no record that it is attached to you so to me it is no big deal spitting in a tube.

This is why I don't believe this is as big of an issue as many people worry about. Ancestry doesn’t even do the health testing and you do not need to have your name attached to your test, so do you really think heath insurance companies are going to spend the time and money figuring out who each sample belongs to through a trail of electronic data, contacting individuals to ask whose sample each was, and then have the additional testing done just to see if someone is at a slightly increased risk for something? That seems cost prohibitive for the potential savings.

And as for the criminal aspect, I would think they would only go through the time and expense of the above for serious crimes. And if anyone in your family (whether you know or not) has already done a test, your DNA is already available to catch you anyway so you may as well find out what percentage of Irish you are.

The bigger privacy risk to me is the uncovering of family secrets. I know many people (including DH) who have discovered their biological family through this testing. Some are happy reunions, but many of those people assumed there was never any way that this info would be found out and brought to light.

 

[John VN]

DNA is WONDERFUL when you are searching for biological family- and even if you are just doing it for fun you don't even need to put your real name on the test, you can order it and mail it back under an alias...............

We are BORG !!! I am 2 of 4.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/de9x/ancestry-holiday-sale-kelly-ripas-ancestry-results

74% Italian, really?? Not enough hand motions like in my family so guess we're not related ---

 

[aprilgail]

The bigger privacy risk to me is the uncovering of family secrets. I know many people (including DH) who have discovered their biological family through this testing. Some are happy reunions, but many of those people assumed there was never any way that this info would be found out and brought to light.

There is no hiding anymore- you can not just walk away from a child that you have created and leave them with no info on who they are - you will eventually be found. Happy reunion or not at least people will have an answer to things many have spent their whole lives searching for. One of the best days for me was when I walked into the Dr's office and had to fill out paperwork and no longer had to write "unknown-adopted" on all the family medical history parts!

 

[mom2rtk]

There is no hiding anymore- you can not just walk away from a child that you have created and leave them with no info on who they are - you will eventually be found. Happy reunion or not at least people will have an answer to things many have spent their whole lives searching for. One of the best days for me was when I walked into the Dr's office and had to fill out paperwork and no longer had to write "unknown-adopted" on all the family medical history parts!

Granted, I haven't been in your shoes. I'm glad you have the answers you sought. But I think you also risk that more people might choose to terminate a pregnancy if there is no longer an option of safely giving the baby up anonymously.

 

[aprilgail]

Granted, I haven't been in your shoes. I'm glad you have the answers you sought. But I think you also risk that more people might choose to terminate a pregnancy if there is no longer an option of safely giving the baby up anonymously.

Perhaps-i am hoping more just opt for open adoption from the start -it is certainly the more compassionate option for the innocent child. It is the same with sperm donors-they are being “outted” now for donations they made 20+ years ago. My daughters was welcoming to her-we drove 2,500+ miles when she was 15 so she could meet and have dinner with him-answered all her questions and she is happy with that.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I did ancestry.com and just got my results back a week or so again, no big surprises but kinda neat 78 percent England, wales and northwestern Europe...10 percent Ireland and scottland and 8 percent german and 4 percent Sweden...

 

[Wishing on a star]

This is off-topic.... But since others are going there.
I am not for 'open adoption' at all.
Either give the child a future with another set of parents, or not.
Adoptive parents should not be viewed as 18-year (or however many year) babysitters.
I know people who have gone with adoptions from outside the U.S. for that very reason.

As far as the privacy and availability of DNA information.
That could be easily be remedied if the laws were to come forward to match the current technology.
IMHO, legally, a persons personal info should be protected unless they actually sign a release. And, that is how it should always be / have been.

 

[tzolkin]

As far as the privacy and availability of DNA information.
That could be easily be remedied if the laws were to come forward to match the current technology.
IMHO, legally, a persons personal info should be protected unless they actually sign a release. And, that is how it should always be / have been.

I’m not totally clear if this part of your comment was related to adoption (or if you’re referring to criminal issues). If you did mean the adoption issue are you saying something along the lines of: if you have a closed adoption then when you take a dna test your matches to that adopted child should not show?

I’m honestly really not sure how that would work. You do have the option when submitting the test to not have your info be available for matches, so you could choose to do that. The child would not be able to see you as a parental match if they took a test and were searching. However, every other person you are biologically related to would also be a match to that child so it could still be revealed. (But, of course, that’s also the case even if you don’t take a test at all.)

 

[low-key]

My kit just arrived, I cant spit in the tube until I have not ate or drank in the last 30 min, that never happens

 

[aprilgail]

This is off-topic.... But since others are going there.
I am not for 'open adoption' at all.
Either give the child a future with another set of parents, or not.
Adoptive parents should not be viewed as 18-year (or however many year) babysitters.
I know people who have gone with adoptions from outside the U.S. for that very reason.

As far as the privacy and availability of DNA information.
That could be easily be remedied if the laws were to come forward to match the current technology.
IMHO, legally, a persons personal info should be protected unless they actually sign a release. And, that is how it should always be / have been.

Just because it is an open adoption doesn't mean that the adoptive parents "lose " the child. I grew up with the greatest parents- I consider them my parents, not my adoptive parents but my parents- but there is also a part of me that always yearned to know why I was given up, who my bio parents were and if I had an bio siblings and then as I got older I really wanted to know my medical history- I found my bio parents and do have a relationship with my bio mom up until her death and also my bio half siblings. In fact when my bio mom was in failing health my mom wanted to buy me a ticket to go see her one last time- it doesn't have to be an either or thing-my mom even invited my bio mom to my baby shower. I felt a sense of loss my entire life until I found out everything I needed to find out and finding out in no way changed my relationship with my parents.

 

[low-key]

Im hoping I got some African in me, I have no ideal why

 

[Sleepy425]

This is off-topic.... But since others are going there.
I am not for 'open adoption' at all.
Either give the child a future with another set of parents, or not.
Adoptive parents should not be viewed as 18-year (or however many year) babysitters.
I know people who have gone with adoptions from outside the U.S. for that very reason.

Studies show that open adoption is best for the adoptee. My daughters were adopted through foster care. Despite knowing full well their family history, we promised their bio parents we would never keep them from knowing who their bio family is (we will keep them from seeing anyone who isn’t in the right point in their recovery to see them, but my daughters will always know who they are). My daughters are so fortunate to have an abuela who loves to cook Puerto Rican food for them, and 5 siblings who they’ve been able to meet so far (still hoping they will meet the last two). They even have a nephew!
Hiding the bio family from adoptees creates confusion and possibly resentment. I’m not afraid that I’m raising my daughters just to have them run off to the other family when they’re 18. We all share my girls, and that’s amazing.

 

[Kitty 34]

Granted, I haven't been in your shoes. I'm glad you have the answers you sought. But I think you also risk that more people might choose to terminate a pregnancy if there is no longer an option of safely giving the baby up anonymously.

Interesting take on the whole DNA thing, Mom2rtk.


My thoughts on the whole thing is when you find 27 new family members do you search them out and start visiting and whatnot? I'm not being sarcastic just really want to know.
As far as genetic illnesses unfortunately a blood test after two bouts of pneumonia stated I had a genetic lung disease, Alpha 1. I now get weekly infusions.

 

[aprilgail]

Interesting take on the whole DNA thing, Mom2rtk.


My thoughts on the whole thing is when you find 27 new family members do you search them out and start visiting and whatnot? I'm not being sarcastic just really want to know.
As far as genetic illnesses unfortunately a blood test after two bouts of pneumonia stated I had a genetic lung disease, Alpha 1. I now get weekly infusions.

ok so when I found my bio mom I flew to Alabama to meet her and her husband- then met up with my sister who lives in NJ who had a gathering at her house where I met all my other relatives. For my daughter who is donor conceived we had found a bunch of her half siblings and also her donor and we took a road trip for 2 months around the US meeting them all- she keeps in touch with almost all of them via a facebook group and snapchat group. I had found who my bio father was but he had already passed away- his nephew was kind enough to send me some pictures of him and also his death certificate- he had passed from some heart issue, my next cardiologist visit I showed him the death certificate and he immediately sent me in for some heart cat scan to rule out it out for me- sucks that he passed before I found him but glad to have the death certificate. He actually died in a homeless shelter in NYC, was a big gambler on horse races-I tracked down the shelter he was in which had now closed but I got in contact with someone who was the head of that shelter and he was able to tell me a bit about him.