To ask my son to take a DNA test for me?

[StuntNun]

I want to do a DNA test to find out more about my ancestry - I'm mixed race - but I'm wondering whether it might be better to ask my 16-year-old DS1 to do it instead. That way he could have information about his paternal line as well as from my side of the family. The alternative would be for both DH and I to do the test but I don't know whether that would provide significantly more information than they would get from our child. I haven't mentioned it to DS1 yet, AIBU to ask him whether he's interested?

Perhaps I'm overly cynical but if my DM had asked me to get a DNA test as a teen because she wanted to know more about her ancestry, I'd assume she was actually checking if my dad was my dad. If you're interested in your ancestry, get your own DNA test.
Personally I wouldn't because I'm also cynical about undisclosed third parties getting to use my DNA.

They are a con, they can't tell you anything about your ancestry because we are all so mixed. As someone said above different companies use different ways of interpreting what is middle east/Scandinavia etc.

We're all African btw, the whole human race. And Europeans are a bit Neanderthal. There was a good Rutherford and Fry episode about these tests on R4.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000178m

Glaxo Smith Kline are known to purchase masses of DNA from these companies, they then use them to examine possible future medications by predicting health of society as a whole, as well as sub sections that are known to be susceptible to various genetic issues etc.

Basically, your information is used now to create and market drugs to you in the future.

You would be better to get your own done op. You don't get half of your DNA from one parent and half from the other like chromosomes, it's more complicated that that. Your mother could be Italian and your father Japanese but you won't be 50% of each, so you could be 70% Japanese for example, therefore your son's results won't really give you the full picture. And yes we are all originally African, but lots of people want more recent family information than that. I got my mum's done in an effort to find lost relatives and I am glad I did, it's so interesting and we got lots of info on family history from people we didn't even know existed. Not sure how it can be a con, considering that police have used some of the databases to track down and arrest criminals.

I just don't understand why you wouldn't do your own test????

Deadringer you absolutely do get half your DNA from each parent.

I didn't put that very well, this is what I meant.(sorry i cant do links)

Glaxo Smith Kline are known to purchase masses of DNA from these companies

To be more accurate, GSK has bought a stake in 23andMe which gives them access to the test results of those 23andMe clients who have agreed to participate in scientific research. Following the deal, 23andMe emailed those clients who had previously opted in telling them about the deal and giving them the option to opt out.

Lots of reasons here not to ask my DS1 to have his DNA tested so I'll just get mine done and see what comes up. I'm not expecting any great surprises but my mum's ethnic background is uncertain so it might be interesting to see whether anything unusual crops up.

I've done mine with ancestry along with my family tree. I have over 125 genetic links with other people on the site. My family went all over the globe. I have enjoyed it.

Good luck!

The privacy concerns didn’t cross my mind, just wanted to find family and maybe learn where in Europe they were from originally. Matched with my previously unknown dad instantly which was amazing, then my mum did a test and we’ve finally confirmed who her biological parents are. I always wanted to know more about who I came from but didn’t realise how deeply important it was to me until the results came in.

I'm interested, but not going to do one. My DM is adopted and was never able to trace her birth father (thinks it was a false name). I told her to do one of these DNA tests as there she been loads of stories of people tracing birth families through them, but she hasn't, so obviously isn't ready. I don't want to do one myself and potentially open a can of worms if there are birth relatives on there - it's not my decision to make.