To think this is an odd birthday request off DD?

[etonclean]

DD's birthday is in 2 weeks, she has asked for one of those DNA tests. She will be 19. Just in case someone asks I'd like to clarify it's not a "who's the daddy" test. You spit in a cup, send it off to the lab and then they get back to you telling you which areas of the world your ancestors are from and what diseases you have a genetic predisposition to.

I've said I'll get her one but I think it's a bit odd. There's no family secrets, me and DH are both definitely her biological parents (!) and both families are very healthy. We also both have family tracing back to Ireland.

AIBU in worrying she thinks there is some secret we are keeping from her about who she is? Or am I just being paranoid? She usually asks for makeup. DH got upset when I told him what she had asked for as he thought she must think he's not her dad, managed to reassure him though.

I bought the Ancestry one for all the parents for xmas last year - the results were absolute accurate for the family history that we knew right down to exact areas of countries. Found out what happened to so random great-great aunts who had vanished (turned out they moved to the USA) and we are now in touch with their descendents.

Friend of mine got a bit of a shock when he did one and found a father/daughter match come up... happily all has gone well and he's thrilled to have a DD and DGC he never knew about!

I'm all for my DNA being held in a database.

@diddl wouldn't mind helping with your family tree, I don't do it for a living but have often found myself doing strangers family history purely out of interest (let me clarify... other people I find on the census because of an interesting name or job they have)

I also got a DNA test through ancestry. We've got a few mysteries that would be great if they were solved, but so far not much luck, and a very boring 100%British result for me. In fact, I don't know why I expected anything else 😂😂 but then again, my family didn't seem to move much at all so....

YABU
It is not to track your immediate relatives but to do way back to genetic ancestry

I've said I'll get her one but I think it's a bit odd. There's no family secrets, me and DH are both definitely her biological parents (!) and both families are very healthy.

What's the worry then?

I've done a DNA test and found the results fascinating. A word of warning though, although there might not be any family secrets in your immediate family, it's possible that it will expose secrets within the wider family For example - turns out my great aunt gave a baby away in the 1950s through an adoption possibly arranged by the family GP. I've now found a cousin that nobody knew about and I think the aunt would be very upset if she found out I knew.

Note: ypu will only,get to see your DNA 'matches' of,you opt in. Otherwise you only get your ethnicity make up

My DH did one, as did a few other of his family members. The only thing I'd say is I was really not impressed with the results for the price. If you already know your heritage and any family issues there's no point so she might as well choose a more worthwhile present.

Not weird, am 24 and just did one a few weeks ago! They're fascinating!

I have discovered that I have Arab, Ashkenazi Jewish and Portuguese markers in my genes! Plus spanish, italian, French and German.... my whole family that we know of is English and Scottish.

And that I am at higher risk of type 2 diabetes.

They're very popular nowadays

Oh and I discovered 1,200 relatives across the UK, US and Canada... my family have always been quite numerous so wasn't surprised

All of the paranoid people in this thread are making me hmm They sound like the ones on facebook who don't vaccinate their children!!

Hardly a comparison for crying out loud. These so called ancestry DNA tests are commercially churned out with barely a hint to science. Your results can only be compared to those they hold in their database, not exactly accurate.

they sound like the ones on Facebook that don’t vaccinate their children

Sorry, Are you seriously comparing Data scientists, communications scholars and data ethics and data justice experts to anti-vaxxers? Did I just hear that? So you are literally comparing data ethics teams from LSE, MIT media lab, Cornell etc who are part of the pushback against data breaches and taking large tech to task - to anti vaxers? People speaking today the Internet Governance Forum with Tim Berners Lee who started the Internet and who’s himself calling for data justice as I write this, people involved with taking these large tech companies to whatever possible realms of accountability - are paranoid and akin to anti vaxers? These are social scientists, scientists, engineers, people working with the hard evidence on a daily basis (I include myself here) are in your eyes the evidence denying Wakefield worshipping lot?

Me, my 15 and 12 year old are all keen to do one of these as we find it interesting. The kids watched Ant & Dec’s DNA journey and were fascinated so their interest stems from that I think.

BBC Watchdog did a piece on this. They all seem like a waste of money..

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/tBX9dq9V9qWV687ddP6lK9/dna-ancestry-kits

She’s not asking for a paternity test. She’s asking for a test in which she sends her own DNA away and it’ll come back with results of her heritage. Weather they are true or not is up for debate but it’s definitely not a paternity test.

Not happening here yet but in the US, with a warrant, police can get info from these DNA companies to help compare to DNA they have from crime scenes. Doesn't bother me at all but it is something people should think about before they subscribe to these schemes

Sounds like a fun activity to me .... if you don’t like the idea of buying the test for her maybe you might consider giving her some cash for her birthday so she can buy the test herself if she wants to and then you won’t be in the firing line of if anyone feels it isn’t a good idea.

I’m really considering this to get round a family tree hurdle- my great grandfather was adopted and the only thing we know about his biological father is his name and occupation. I can’t think of another way round it as the name doesn’t come up with anything you could substantiate, and he wasn’t from the local area (we are led to believe). So tempted but realise the chances of finding someone related on that side are slim...

YABU. I think its lovely. As someones already said. Shes probably just interested in her history. My brother recently done it, it's really interesting to know.

What if she is told she is at risk of certain cancers based upon those findings? What level of ongoing anxiety is that likely to cause?

Not all of the DNA tests give you health information. The one I did via ancestry.com didn't.

Ancestry.com doesn't!!

Cross post

Aren't these tests just genetic astrology for gullible people?

I wouldn't pay to hand over my genetic data.

Try one and tell us!

@etonclean FYI this actual thread has made it to the news