DNA is an incredible piece of science that provides so much information about an individual. As a scientific discovery, it has been a crucial part of advancing human knowledge in so many ways, in helping to solve otherwise unsolvable crimes, and in helping people find out about themselves as well.
More recently, DNA genetic testing has been marketed to the public in order to help them learn about their family, their family’s history, and themselves. These tests don’t cost very much, and can help a person find out a lot of information.
1. The information is secure
One of the most frequently asked questions about DNA genetic testing is whether it is secure. It absolutely is. In fact, most companies do not ever associate a name with a file. Once the file is created, the person becomes a number in a sea of other numbers.
The person will know their own number, but should anything happen to their DNA in the mail when it is being sent for testing, or should any sort of breach occur, the personal information of the person involved would not be compromised.
2. Surprises may occur
This is a crazy world, and strange things are happening every day. Whether the surprises that come from the data gleaned from the DNA genetic testing are happy surprises or not, it is important to be prepared for the unexpected, just in case. There may be nothing surprising about the results at all, but there are many different ways the results could come as a shock.
For one thing, they could indicate that a person has ancestry from a certain region in their blood that they never knew about. Some people have discovered they were adopted through results like this, however some people have also discovered long lost family members.
3. It is accurate, but not 100 per cent
Science is advanced, but not that advanced yet. It cannot be confirmed that the results are 100 per cent accurate at this time. Any test that does claim 100 per cent accuracy is fraudulent. The technology does not yet exist. However, based on a large database of DNA samples, and the analysis of professionals, much of the information indicated in the results are correct.
All this means is that users of DNA genetic testing should look at their results with a bit of a critical eye, and try and do some of their own personal research to help corroborate the information provided. The test results are not the entire puzzle, but they provide many pieces of it.
4. Results are not stuck in the past
Although many people order DNA genetic testing to find out more about their family history or where their ancestors came from, these tests can also provide information about the future, namely, health information. These tests can indicate the presence of certain genes which are known to give the person a higher percentage chance of developing certain diseases.
By having these tests done, people may be able to take preventative measures to help themselves fight the diseases they would likely end up having in the future.
5. Anybody can do them
DNA genetic testing is not limited to male or female participants, as some other DNA testing is. Anybody can have their DNA analyzed through these tests and benefit from the knowledge the results provide. The reason is that the DNA tests use an Autosomal DNA test as opposed to a Y-DNA test which only men can take.
Women cannot take a Y-DNA test because they do not have the Y chromosome. Luckily, however, DNA genetic testing does not use Y-DNA tests, so there are no user restrictions.
