What is a Home DNA test kit?
Anyone can find out about their ancestry, genetic makeup, and general health concerns with an at-home DNA test kit. Typically, a person will give a sample of their saliva to a lab for analysis. The DNA in the sample cells will be examined as part of this research to seek mutations that point to a person’s propensity to acquire particular medical disorders. An at-home DNA test kit is commonly available to obtain online and does not require a doctor’s prescription.
How to opt for an at-home DNA test kit
Before choosing a Home DNA Test kit, a person can look at the following points.
- The laboratories accreditation: Both the testing laboratories and the DNA test kits should be accredited by international organisations such as Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Company’s privacy statement: A user can see if the business discloses in great detail how it uses, stores, and gives access to consumer data.
- Employees of the business: To help customers understand their results, several businesses hire medical geneticists and genetic counsellors and provide consultations with physicians. The website of the business On the firm’s website, one can evaluate the accuracy of the data. Services, costs, and How to do DNA tests at home and analysis should all be included.
At-home DNA Testing Kits
AncestryDNA
An individual must purchase a kit online, give a mouth swab, and submit the sample to the AncestryDNA laboratory for analysis to use the kit.
According to the business, its study contains more than 700,000 genetic markers, and findings are available online in 6 to 8 weeks.
- Cost
The cost of the AncestryDNA kit is $99 - Advantages
A) Ancestry has a DNA database of more than 20 million people, increasing the likelihood that family members may be recognized.
B) Testing can reveal the regions of a nation from which a person’s family may have originated.
C) Using the family tree software from Ancestry can improve test results. - Disadvantages
A) To access all AncestryDNA features, a person must purchase an Ancestry subscription.
B) Health conditions are not revealed by the test.
C) There have been allegations of Asian people receiving erroneous results.
23andMe
To use the DNA test At Home service, one must first purchase a testing kit online, produce a saliva sample, and then return the sample to the 23andMe labs for examination.
The 23andMe website states that a person can anticipate their results in 3–4 weeks.
- Cost
The service kit costs $99 only. The annual cost of a 23andMe Membership kit is $29. Access to premium reports and features is also included. - Advantages
A) Ten diseases can be tested for with FDA approval.
B) It has a non-intrusive sample collection system.
C) There is a chance that FSA or HSA will pay you.
D) It offers thorough ancestry reports. - Disadvantages
A) No family tree software exists.
DNA MyHeritage
A cheek-swab sample and the purchase of a kit are required for the DNA test. After that, they can return their sample for examination to the MyHeritage DNA lab. The results, which are available online, can be obtained, claims the business, within 4 weeks.
- Cost
The MyHeritage DNA test kit is $79 in price. - Advantages
A) 42 ethnic groups and 2,114 geographical locations are covered by the DNA test.
B) Data about clients is protected by many encryption layers.
C) The College of American Pathologists and CLIA both accredited the MyHeritage DNA labs (CAP).
D) It has a non-intrusive sample collection system. - Disadvantages
A) The cost of additional health tests is $120.
B) The cost of delivering samples to the lab is covered by the customer.
Living DNA
The test kits from Living DNA are offered with both regular and express shipping. A cheek swab sample must be given to the firm for analysis to take the test.
According to Living DNA, results should be available in 6 to 8 weeks.
- Cost
For $99, one can purchase the Living DNA ancestry kit. - Advantages
A) Provides ancestry reports - Disadvantages
A) Results for people outside of Europe are inaccurate and only available at a higher cost.
Comparison Table |
||
| Company name | Home DNA test kit price
|
Number of days to get results |
| AncestryDNA | $99 | 6 to 8 weeks. |
| 23andMe | $99 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| DNA MyHeritage | $79 | 4 weeks |
| Living DNA | $99 | 6 to 8 weeks. |
A person can use DNA tests to obtain individualised information about their traits, risk of contracting specific diseases, and general health.
These tests can also be used to develop a family tree, learn more about one’s genetic genealogy, and discover potential places where one’s ancestors may have resided.
According to Trusted Source, the best group of medical professionals to advise a person on the findings of genetic tests are genetic specialists. To understand more about the results of their DNA test, a person may need to seek genetic counselling since not all DNA tests provide access to genetics experts.
DNA Genealogy! A Genetic Link
Is the Home DNA test safe?
A DNA test kit may provide a person with information that they did not anticipate. Information regarding their health conditions or distressing details about their family or ancestry can fall under this category.
A person’s health can only be partially determined by DNA test kits. Lifestyle, medical history, and environmental factors are a few more factors that can affect illness risks. A person does not necessarily have the disease just because they carry the gene for it.
A person could also hesitate to get the necessary medical care if they receive a false negative result on a health test.
A person can consider discussing the results of their DNA test with a doctor if they would like help with interpreting their results
Summary
A person can quickly and conveniently learn about their genetic makeup through at-home DNA testing. An individual can purchase an at-home DNA test to learn more about their family history or to see whether they have any genetic characteristics that could increase their risk of developing specific medical conditions. The outcome may be disappointing or unexpected for a person. People can better comprehend their results and put any hereditary concerns into context by speaking with a doctor or genetic counsellor.
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