Best DNA kits?

bametels

I researched various companies and decided to use 23andMe based on both what they offer and their policies. I sent my sample in at the end of December and had my results within 3 weeks. My results were somewhat aligned with what I expected based on my family tree work, although my results had a higher % of British and Irish than expected (I thought about 50% - all Irish; came back at 64%) and less French and German than expected. However, I also had a few surprises - 1.5% Scandinavian - but this was WAY back in the most recent ancestor timeline, so I suspect it may be related to the Vikings raids and settlements in Ireland. I also had 5% Eastern European but have not yet found any ancestors from Eastern Europe through my family tree work.

I second the recommendation of Promethease. It was free when I did it - a 1 month special offer. The information on my expected physical traits was spot on including less common physical traits such as scoliosis, which I do have. It also showed evidence of genes for various diseases/conditions that relatives of mine have had. This information clued me in to issues I need to be aware of and pointed to some action I should take related to prevention. The most surprising result was that I am carrier of the gene for Cystic Fibrosis. I had no idea. This was important information to share with my daughters as they have a 50/50 chance of being carriers and to share with my siblings because they also have a 50/50 chance of being carriers and if they are, they could have passed the gene on to their children. If I had known I was a carrier, I certainly would have had my spouse tested prior to starting a family.

Gaygirl2120

Thank you so much to everyone who offered helpful information and experiences about this

rheddmobile

Jax2120 wrote: »

LittleLionHeart1 wrote: »

Please don't give your DNA away, as you are giving up things you don't even know about yet. Your rights. Discrimination. They are storing it for future "We dont know yets." The mad scientists, and the Mormons Book.
We came from our parents, and their parents, and their parents. Why do we have to know if our decendant is Hitler, or Vladimir The Empaler?
My concern now is, 23 and me is claiming to be able to tell women if they have breast cancer. But it doesn't include all types of breast cancer. So they are playing into the fears of women now, just to get their DNA samples. Don't do it.
Just my thoughts.

That’s actually the one I was thinking of trying the most 23andme. For me it’s important because I’m adopted so I want to know where I came from. But I can understand so I’m having no interest in that but for me personally it’s important.

If you are adopted and hope to identify your birth parents, your best bet is to cast your net as widely as possible and try all three major companies, 23 and me, familytreedna, and Ancestry. If you have to pick just one in this situation, Ancestry wins with no others even close, simply because of their giant database of other users, and because you can upload their test to familytreedna for a discount. Also upload your Ancestry test to the free service Gedmatch.com.

If you are concerned with health, 23 and me is the winner, but there are also other companies which will work with your Ancestry.com test data for free.

As far as identifying your "ethnicity," this part of the test is largely baloney. Any test will accurately identify which continent your ancestors came from, but you probably know that already by your looks. No test is able to accurately separate and identify DNA within continents, with a handful of exceptions. There has simply been too much intermarriage and movement - Germans and French and British people do not appear greatly different at a genetic level in any way which is consistent. NO DNA TEST IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER AT THIS, THEY ALL USE THE SAME PROCESS AND ALL FAIL EQUALLY. 23 and me's more detailed information (about ethnicity, not medical information which is a different subject) is simply more detailed guessing. It is not valid.

Reading the Ancestry forums, I have seen all sorts of results with adoptees and testing. The most dramatic was a woman tested and instantly her birth mother popped up as a match. Then her birth mother refused all contact with her and she was heartbroken - because her name was an internet handle with no identifying information, she was left with nothing more to go on than before. But the typical user gets a long list of fourth cousins with one or two closer cousins who have no clue how the user might be related. Then after some detective work the user may narrow it down to a couple of possibilities. Then one or the other of those possibilities might agree to contact someone for testing, and in some cases birth parents are found. Some people never find much of anything, and some like the woman above find their birth parents instantly. If you decide to do this, you need to be open to what might happen.

pogiguy05

Jax2120 wrote: »

I’m interested in trying one of those DNA kits to learn more about my ethnicity. Has anyone tried them? Which ones are the most accurate?

I have also heard stories that once your DNA is in the database they can sell it to anyone. So no thanks I dont need to know that badly.

pogiguy05

ilovetrees145 wrote: »

pogiguy05 wrote: »

Jax2120 wrote: »

I’m interested in trying one of those DNA kits to learn more about my ethnicity. Has anyone tried them? Which ones are the most accurate?

I have also heard stories that once your DNA is in the database they can sell it to anyone. So no thanks I dont need to know that badly.

This is what I think about too, so I hesitate to try it

Yeh you apply for something and get denied and dont know why. Like life insurance

Gaygirl2120

rheddmobile wrote: »

Jax2120 wrote: »

LittleLionHeart1 wrote: »

Please don't give your DNA away, as you are giving up things you don't even know about yet. Your rights. Discrimination. They are storing it for future "We dont know yets." The mad scientists, and the Mormons Book.
We came from our parents, and their parents, and their parents. Why do we have to know if our decendant is Hitler, or Vladimir The Empaler?
My concern now is, 23 and me is claiming to be able to tell women if they have breast cancer. But it doesn't include all types of breast cancer. So they are playing into the fears of women now, just to get their DNA samples. Don't do it.
Just my thoughts.

That’s actually the one I was thinking of trying the most 23andme. For me it’s important because I’m adopted so I want to know where I came from. But I can understand so I’m having no interest in that but for me personally it’s important.

If you are adopted and hope to identify your birth parents, your best bet is to cast your net as widely as possible and try all three major companies, 23 and me, familytreedna, and Ancestry. If you have to pick just one in this situation, Ancestry wins with no others even close, simply because of their giant database of other users, and because you can upload their test to familytreedna for a discount. Also upload your Ancestry test to the free service Gedmatch.com.

If you are concerned with health, 23 and me is the winner, but there are also other companies which will work with your Ancestry.com test data for free.

As far as identifying your "ethnicity," this part of the test is largely baloney. Any test will accurately identify which continent your ancestors came from, but you probably know that already by your looks. No test is able to accurately separate and identify DNA within continents, with a handful of exceptions. There has simply been too much intermarriage and movement - Germans and French and British people do not appear greatly different at a genetic level in any way which is consistent. NO DNA TEST IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER AT THIS, THEY ALL USE THE SAME PROCESS AND ALL FAIL EQUALLY. 23 and me's more detailed information (about ethnicity, not medical information which is a different subject) is simply more detailed guessing. It is not valid.

Reading the Ancestry forums, I have seen all sorts of results with adoptees and testing. The most dramatic was a woman tested and instantly her birth mother popped up as a match. Then her birth mother refused all contact with her and she was heartbroken - because her name was an internet handle with no identifying information, she was left with nothing more to go on than before. But the typical user gets a long list of fourth cousins with one or two closer cousins who have no clue how the user might be related. Then after some detective work the user may narrow it down to a couple of possibilities. Then one or the other of those possibilities might agree to contact someone for testing, and in some cases birth parents are found. Some people never find much of anything, and some like the woman above find their birth parents instantly. If you decide to do this, you need to be open to what might happen.

Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I might look into some of those forums. I know both my birth parents have passed sadly. I am open to meeting family members if that is an option though. I just want to learn more about myself basically.

kam26001

I'm really interested in the health report offered by 23andme. I wanna know if I'm gonna end up talking to microwaves like my uncles.

CircleJerkk

I used 23andme. It's pretty cool, very detailed. I know people who used ancestry and their reports weren't as detailed as mine was