Have you had your DNA tested?

[Snog]

Wondering if it was a good experience or if it flagged things you would have preferred not to know?

I can't decide whether to do it or not. I don't have a particular reason for testing, just out of interest. Also wondering whether to buy one as a Christmas gift for a 20 year old.

I did. I’ve been researching my dads side of the family who are quite a mysterious lot. It didn’t tell me anything terribly interesting until an 18 year old cousin I didn’t know I had got in touch with me.

No and not going to either, too many concerns about possible skeletons in the family closet, finding out medical things, privacy.

I did and I found it fascinating, but not too surprising. Still, it was a lot of fun. I think it's a really great present!

A relative of mine suggested buying this as a gift for another of our relatives but I'm not convinced - are they really any good? 🤔

I did it, didn't learn anything I didn't already know but it was interesting to see as I have a quite complex heritage. Medically everything was fine but I sort of suspected that as no family medical history of anything major.

Yes. Was strangely dissatisfied to find I'm as British as can be - a mix of Scandinavian (vikings), French (Norman invasion) and Celt. I was kind of hoping for a splash of ooh Russian, or Ethiopian, but nah. Bog standard Brit.

Hi OP, depends what you want to get out of the testing, and there are various ones.

Majority, including Ancestry are autosomal and will test DNA you inherit from both parents. There are also tests that do Y DNA (men only) and mitochondrial DNA which is your direct female line and can show you the ancestry of your female lineage.

The ethnicity estimates are really a bit of fun. Each testing company uses different algorithms and groups of people as their subjects for an area. They also change these with updates. However if you have say 1% Spanish pop up, you might not be able to verify this on your paper trail tree. A lot of people who come from the British Isles show up with Scandinavian roots (bloody Vikings)

The real benefit to DNA testing are the databases of all of the others who have tested and show up as related to you. Majority of cousins I have matched with are 4th cousins and I have traced how we are related, its like solving a giant logic puzzle. However, as can be reported in the news, beware as sometimes a very close cousin match (or closer!) And then you realise someone within the family had a secret child thus producing relatives that you may never have known about otherwise.

The other DNA tests are health tests and companies can test you for inherited diseases or risks of those, they do advertise which ones. I haven't done this so cannot comment.

Personally as a hobby genealogist having my DNA tested has been invaluable, I also asked my mum to do hers and this helped sort my maternal and paternal matches. So if you are interested in setting up a family tree and getting going, go for it!

Yes and I am only 2% Scandinavian. A lot of people think I am southern Mediterranean or Middle Eastern origins (probably partly due my name) but I am 85% from Ireland and UK. 5% is East European which I am at a loss to explain (that's a great great grandparent?)

I was given DNA test kit a few years ago.
I'm adopted and all of a sudden I'm inundated with absolutely awful birth relatives.
Including one batshit , much younger half sister.
Oh the drama and stress it caused was just not worth it.
My youngest DC is part of the 100,000 genomes project that tested the dna of 100,000 people with disabilities/ cancer etc in the UK.
We found he had a rare genetic disorder on top of his chromosome disorders and many other things and his doctors were able to help him a lot to keep his health a little more stable .
They also tested myself and H .
I found out I carried the gene for breast and ovarian cancer and now get yearly checks.
Now that kind of dna testing I'm all for but from my own experience of batshit birth family I wouldn't ever recommend the kits for genealogy

Not me, but my aunt & uncle. Found out they didn't share a father. Led to the other 5 testing and it turns out that 1 uncle and my mother share a father, five others share a father.

Lot of fall out from this. Nan died in 2001 so shes missed out & supposed grandfather was an asshole who died in 78 and nobody cares.

Got an ancestry kit as a birthday present.
Didn't know my brother had done one some months previously.
Turns out we have different dads, our father is only my father, my brother doesn't know as he hasn't logged in since he did his own test.
It's a stressful secret to carry to be honest, I have hidden my tree, but I do know he's been contacted by someone from his other family. He hasn't put two and two together yet as he's not particularly interested in family tree stuff.
I'm just waiting for it all to go BOOM!

Hmm, @MzPumpkinPie, that's what would bother me - I'm perfectly happy (in the main!) with the rellies I've got & not really interested in finding I've got more out there!!

@BrotherlyLove omg!

I don't understand why anyone would willingly give their DNA away to some company to do god knows what with?!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/don-t-buy-online-dna-ancestry-tests-you-are-the-real-product-1.3713619%3fmode=amp

Really interesting hearing other people's experiences.
The person I'm thinking of buying for has a father who was adopted but who doesn't want to find out about his birth family. So there could be some random repercussions there. But also could be useful to have a better grasp of unknown medical history.

It seems like it could be useful and might throw up some unknown relatives but could also potentially be explosive!

My sister did hers, same parents so I don't need to (we both have enough resemblance to dad that I'm not worried that mine would be different). 100% Irish as expected.

My dh did his though and that was a surprise as he looks Italian, has an Italian father, an Italian name etc. yet he's only 12% Italian (with Greek, Middle Eastern, Moroccan but mainly Scandinavian heritage). He's a bit miffed I think, so only have the test if you really don't mind the outcome.

I did mine a couple of years back. Turns out I’m 91% Irish/Scottish and 9% English/Welsh so even a couple of percent of scandi dna would have felt exotic. I did have a message from a distant relative who shared a 3xgt grandfather with me. Turns out he was a bigamist and had 2 families living just a couple of streets apart. The ancestor not the nice bloke who messaged me.

I'd done my family tree already on ancestry before I did a DNA test so there were no great surprises but it did confirm my tree was correct.

I've got some Scandinavian in mine.

I've got mysteries on both sides, so hoping to try and find real relatives.
DNA wise, I'm currently 61% English and 39% irish/Scottish. Not really a surprise, but it also narrows right down to being from Kent specifically.

As for any medical issues... none habe shown up just yet

I found it really interesting but expensive!
Discovers a second cousin on my mum’s side.

Had lots of Irish in me which I wasn’t aware of.

The medical side is more if a relief really. I had a greater risk of macular degeneration (which my Dad suffers from) so it’s made be more aware that I need to look after my eyes. But nothing else showed up.

It also said I had certain genetic make up that is found in elite athletes so I’m upping my exercise 😂. Though I think that ship has sailed. I taunt my DH with it though!

’The person I'm thinking of buying for has a father who was adopted but who doesn't want to find out about his birth family.’

Well that’ll be a very festive hand grenade chucked into his family life.

No. I don't trust it. I don't want to give my DNA away to some company who could then either be hacked or sell the information on to 3rd parties. If it becomes more commonplace would insurance companies for example only offer you more expensive premiums because your DNA suggests an increased likelihood of some disease or other? Would mortgage lenders refuse to lend to you because of something in your genes? I also don't think it's appropriate for people to unwittingly reveal all those hidden skeletons and needlessly dig up all sorts of problems, for example, people not knowing they're adopted. What a way to find that out!