Anyone ever do one of those DNA test kits?

katz

katz

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I heard about this on a podcast and now I'm a bit intrigued.

For $99 up to $566, you can get a comprehensive test result of your DNA, genealogy and the list goes on. I'm considering doing it, but my "conspiracy" side wonders just how legit this is...or if it is legit, how reliable are the results, quality control, i.e., getting my results mixed up with someone else's, etc.

There are a bunch of websites offering this...I was looking at this one.

https://www.familytreedna.com/products.aspx

If any of you have opinions, I would like to hear them, or if you've used a company that you are satisfied with, let me know.
 
300DDR,

Thanks for that info. You link leads to a login page, so I was able to come up with this link in case anyone else is interested in this.

http://tinyurl.com/jac3hpn

I'm trying to determine how comprehensive of a test this is. A bit difficult, since I don;t know all of the science behind it. The ancestry.com test is $99, so I'm wondering what is being left out of this test as opposed to the $500 ones...
 
Frick said:
My wife and I did www.23andMe.com

It was very interesting and I still get update email saying I have new relatives found.
Click to expand...

23 and me was the company mentioned on the podcast I was listening to. Guess I'm a bit out of the loop - I had no idea this was available for such affordable pricing, and so easy to do. I thought a major blood test would be required, or more.
 
katz said:
300DDR,

Thanks for that info. You link leads to a login page, so I was able to come up with this link in case anyone else is interested in this.

http://tinyurl.com/jac3hpn

I'm trying to determine how comprehensive of a test this is. A bit difficult, since I don;t know all of the science behind it. The ancestry.com test is $99, so I'm wondering what is being left out of this test as opposed to the $500 ones...
Click to expand...

I think ancestry.com can do it cheaper because they are adding it to there data base, they also bank on someone willing to spend $99 on that to want to know more about there ancestry and be willing to pay for their premium services.
 
katz said:
300DDR,

Thanks for that info. You link leads to a login page, so I was able to come up with this link in case anyone else is interested in this.

http://tinyurl.com/jac3hpn

I'm trying to determine how comprehensive of a test this is. A bit difficult, since I don;t know all of the science behind it. The ancestry.com test is $99, so I'm wondering what is being left out of this test as opposed to the $500 ones...
Click to expand...

The difference? A lot of profit! LOL!!! I've actually been looking into doing this. Not only for the genealogy aspect but the health as well. There is a lot of stuff related to genetics and health. In my family cancer has made it's rounds.

As far as the health related stuff. That all statistical in nature. They been doing these tests for years and have compiled a lot of data. So they just compare your personal profile the the stats. But I agree about the concern about the data. How is it held, who sees it, etc.

I've not made up my mind yet. But I know it's not going to be in the $100's of dollars. I've seen both the 23andme.com and ancestry.com ones.
 
This sounds like I wear a tinfoil hat, but I would be wary of this. I can imagine a world where something discovered during this kind of analysis would be available to insurance companies somehow that could impact your ability to get and keep insurance.
 
HCHTech said:
This sounds like I wear a tinfoil hat, but I would be wary of this. I can imagine a world where something discovered during this kind of analysis would be available to insurance companies somehow that could impact your ability to get and keep insurance.
Click to expand...

I'm kinda on that page too. The same thing when you buy groceries and use your rewards cards; There's a huge database compiled of your purchases all over the place, watching all of your junk food purchases and so forth, so if they ever need to screen you out of a policy, etc, for diabetes/other, they have a record of your purchases.

I know, sounds like Alex Jones/Joyce Riley...but it is a point to be made.
 
Just understand that your results can and will be requested by law enforcement. Just read an article on the Associated Press (AP) App about the nightmare that a couple of people went through.

Be fore warned.
 
Part of my family have had it done via Anscestry. It was interesting to see the report. Nothing too shocking as we kinda know what it would say. But we have our family tree going back to the 1500's.

Definitely work ago
 
I was wondering what the result would be if I had our cat lick the test strip & send it in... ;)
 
Mercenary Roadie said:
Just understand that your results can and will be requested by law enforcement. Just read an article on the Associated Press (AP) App about the nightmare that a couple of people went through.
Click to expand...

Curious - what reason did law enforcement have for doing this? Do you have a link to the story? Since I don't follow the news, I didn't hear about this.
 
I thought it would interesting to do the test through 23 and me, but then you start reading about how your insurance companies are also interested in you taking the test so they can find reasons to use against you or raise your rates if they find out your at risk for something that may or my not happen. Plus I'm not sure if I would want to find out I am at risk for something and have to worry about it and then it never happening.
 
It was on the AP news App. Working on cold cases and such. One guys son was interigated for six hours based on a partil match 6he police got from on of these sites and was the prime subject for a rape for six months.

You realy have to ask yourself what are they doing with these massive DNA databases they are creating and what protections do you have. You inow they are going to end up selling results from them.
 
I read the news story, very unfortunate situation.

Even though it was a major pain/inconvenience, his DNA actually saved him in this case, cleared him of being labeled as the rapist. I'm really on the fence about this. I can see how it is very beneficial to law enforcement to be able to link the proper person to the crime, and if one of my family were a victim, I would want them to do everything possible to get the right person.

However, the strong arm tactics they use are a definite turn off. Probably why law enforcement gets little cooperation from the public in general, with their hard core attitude and over the top interrogation tactics. Not to mention the numerous mistakes, mishandling of evidence and so forth.

I guess I'm convinced for now - the "need to know" that I had about my ancestry has waned...

BTW, does anyone know the protocol for Doctors, Dentists, and such? I suppose everything get thrown away during procedures, but how are we sure that they don't take DNA samples and keep records? That info. could get used/requested by LE as well.
 
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