Are you thinking about an in-home DNA kit?
In college, I had a really amazing professor who encouraged us to learn as much as we can about our family and heritage. Luckily, I interviewed my grandfather, my last surviving grandparent, about eight months before his death.
I have been thinking about getting my DNA results for more than a year to supplement the family tree that I’ve built for the last 13 years. I shopped around, and Ancestry DNA was reasonably priced and it linked to my family tree, so it made the most sense.
As a Christmas present to myself, I got the kit. It wasn’t blood, but I will tell you that generating as much saliva as you need for the kit was difficult. After about 8 weeks, I finally got my results! And they did not disappoint.
But prior to my results, I had a minor panic attack when I started to read the fine print. #lawyer. DNA and human genome tracking is amazing. The Health elements of 23andMe can help you discovery genetic disorders and put you in touch with genetic counselors. And of course, it connects you with your family! YAY!
But as I read the disclosures, it became very clear that many, many people are getting devastating news from using these kits. The agreement and understandings include things like, “you may learn things that you did not know,” and “some participants have received unexpected information.” Everything that we know about ourselves and our family has been told to us. Once you get those results, it’s science. Science doesn’t lie.
So, I will leave you with this – if you are 100% sure about your story, and the story of the people that you care about, then proceed. Otherwise buyer beware.
XOXO, Mrs. Make It Rainka
P.S. Save $10 on Ancestry DNA here.
**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
