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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,296
Registered: ‎09-18-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

No, I am afraid of what it would show. Like who it would show I am related to. We didn't know what my grandpa's biological dad was. I have a gut feeling that it would cause some sort of mess.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,040
Registered: ‎09-12-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

No, and I never will. Aside from the fact that I'm happy with all of the information I have about my family, my concern is with hackers. There are too many large companies that have been hacked with personal information on customers/clients being sold or distributed. These DNA companies can all say that their information is private and will not be shared, but not one of them can guarantee that all of this personal information won't be hacked.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,602
Registered: ‎10-01-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

We did 23 and me.  Got some surprises. I thought I was 50% Irish and 50% Polish. Turns out I'm Irish mostly and Latvian,Russian with a little Spanish and Jewish thrown in.  I think with European borders moving constantly over centuries,who knows who's what.  It's fun to know this about me. My children and DH did this too. It's fun to see what we both passed on to them.

Trees are the lungs of the Earth
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,576
Registered: ‎06-13-2011

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?


@Gorgf wrote:
Surprisingly people have had their rescued/adopted dogs done that I have met at the Dog Park. I am not that curious about mine.

 

When those tests first came out for dogs a few of our clients from the vet clinic where I worked had their dogs tested.   To be honest, the results were ridiculous.  

 

The owners got a list back that showed several breeds that their dogs were supposedly originated from.  It didn't take much of an eye to see that so much of it was nonsense.    It seemed like the company just threw a dart at a breed chart and whatever breed it hit they told the owner their dog came from that breed.  

 

It really was just a moneymaking scheme.   Most of the people who spend the money were so sorry that they fell for it.    It was a little pricey too.   

 

I thought the idea had died out, but last year my hairdressers' daughter adopted a rescue dog and had the test done.  It's very obvious when you look at the dog that it is a mixed breed with parentage from terrier/chihuahua and maybe a little beagle thrown in.    When she got the results back they told her the dog was a mix of a  french bulldog and schnauzer along with shih tzu.    There is nothing about that dog that even resembles any of those breeds.    Both she and her husband felt silly that they had spent the money.   

 

 

 

 


 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,324
Registered: ‎04-28-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

I think I'll just 'wait and see'.

 

See where our DNA and the results end up.

 

Somewhere: Here, there, and everywhere (?)

'More or less', 'Right or wrong', 'In general', and 'Just thinking out loud ' (as usual).
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,745
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

I don't trust them.  My siblings, cousins and I all had it done.  We were not satisfied with the wacky results.  I asked my doctor about it and told her I was suspicious of these companies and her only comment was "you have every right to be."  

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,571
Registered: ‎07-31-2011

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

How do we know any of the results they give you are really true? They could say anything about your dna. Second, the last thing in this world would be giving complete strangers my dna.
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,627
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

I had mine done a few years ago.  I found a whole branch of the family, on my paternal grandfather's side, that I never knew existed.....and I have no idea why.  

 

For me, it was invaluable.  I've made some life long connections.  And, I'm not the least bit concerned about what they are going to do with the DNA they collected.  In fact, once I had all of the information I wanted, I had Ancestry delete my DNA raw data....but I downloaded a copy for myself.  Will they actually do it...I have no idea.  And, again, I really am not concerned.

 

What did happen was that my daughter and I traveled this summer to visit my new family.  We all have the exact same medical profiles, so I know I'm not a freak of nature, lol.  There are other people out there that are like me!  More so than any family members I knew all of my life.  I know where my horrible arthritic knees come from.  And, I know where my thyroid cancer and my father's colon cancer and my colon polyps came from.  It put all of the pieces together for me. And it will allow me to work with my doctors to be extremely proactive on some of my issues.

 

Did I find some people that I didn't particularly care for?  You bet.  They were mostly from my paternal grandmother's side.  Smiley Wink  But, that's life. 

"I've been here since October 2006. Wow!"
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,283
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

At 65 years old, I am what I am so there would no point in finding out anything different.

 

I have no interest in finding any long lost relatives.

 

Given the family history of what my parents and siblings died from, I already know what will probably kill me too.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,981
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?


@chrystaltree wrote:

I haven't but not for those reasons.  I just don't trust those for profit companies.  I don't know who is doing the testing, I don't what their education or experience is, I don't know what protocols they use.  For all I know they could be making it up as they go along.  There was actually a story on local tv some years ago after those companies started.  Identical twins specimens to two different for profit DNA companies and got different results.  


 

I have the same concerns.  I have many questions before I'd get it done.  Like, where do these companies get their baseline information from?  How legitimate is it?  Do they follow both maternal and paternal DNA heritage?  I heard that for females, they only followed maternal heritage.  

 

To me, this all sounds a bit like getting your horoscope done that was popular in the past, when they needed the place, date and time of birth, etc. to get the most accurate "reading."

 

My sisters and I pretty much know our maternal ancestry, so the only thing I'd be interested in would be my father's heritage. 

 

And I really don't want any long-lost relatives showing up at my front door!