All You Need to Know Before Taking a DNA Test

The popularity of DNA tests is on the rise as more and more people decide to use them. If you have ever wondered which part of the world your ancestors came from, these tests can tell you. Moreover, if you are wondering whether you are genetically predisposed to certain illnesses, you can find that out by taking a DNA test.

The DNA tests we will be talking about in this article are the direct-to-consumer tests. They involve buying a DNA test, providing a DNA sample by spitting into a tube or wiping a swab around the inside of your mouth, and sending that sample to the lab. Six weeks later, you get the results and the answers to all of your questions.

To do it successfully and to make sure that your expectations meet the actual outcomes of a commercial DNA test, find out everything you need to know before taking DNA tests described below.

Are All DNA Companies the Same?

Not all DNA companies are the same. When you’re deciding upon which DNA company to use, you should consider what exactly you want to find out. If you do not know where to start, the website Hot5 can show you five most popular DNA companies right now, so you can check them out first.

If you want to find genetic matches with long-lost family members, look for the company with the biggest database of samples. Sometimes, not getting matches in one database means that you should try with a different company, as you might have more luck there. For health information, 23andMe is probably the best option.

How Accurate Are DNA Tests?

The accuracy of the DNA test you take depends on how much of your genome the company looks at. Having in mind that it took scientists 13 years and $4.7 billion to sequence the complete human genome, you can assume how much your $50 DNA test can teach you about yours — not so much.

However, that does not mean that the information you get is not accurate. If you stick with the best DNA companies, there should be few quality issues. Moreover, consider the fact that all humans are 99% the same, so you only need to worry about the remaining 1%, unless you are looking for a very rare condition.

Should You Worry About Your Privacy?

The renowned DNA companies generally invest a lot of money and effort into privacy. It is in their best interest to keep your personal information as safe as possible, as they do not want to risk losing credibility. However, issues might arise with any private company, just like the privacy issues on Facebook.

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There are certain allegations that some companies earn a lot of money by collecting their users’ personal data and selling it to third parties. Personal data does not get any more personal than DNA. Some companies will ask whether you want to let them use your DNA data for research purposes. In the end, it’s your choice to determine whether the gain is worth the risk.

You Might Not Like the Results

One of the things you have to consider is that you might not like the results you get. There are a lot of people who did DNA tests just from sheer curiosity and ended up finding controversial things about their families and their ancestry. Your family history might not be as boring as you think.

Disturbing discoveries might include things such as “misattributed paternity,” issues of race and ancestry, and so on. Sometimes, keeping things a secret and letting them remain in the past is the better option. Some people report finding out that they have half-brothers or half-sisters that nobody in their family knew about.
Unsurprisingly, that might take a toll on the family relations.

Choosing the Right DNA Test

Apart from choosing the right company for handling your DNA testing, you also need to choose the appropriate DNA test to get the desired results. If you want to find out more about your family history, you should choose the Autosomal test. It looks at your genetics as a whole and covers both sides.

However, if you want to find out something more specific than that, you should ask for the mtDNA test or the Y-DNA test. The top DNA companies offer all of these tests, and you can choose either one or all three. It all depends on what you want to learn and how much money you want to spend.