How Safe Are Online DNA Testing Services?

Nowadays, people are increasingly getting intrigued by the information their genes can give them about their ancestry, along with various health risks that hide within their DNA. Fascination with the personal genetics of a person has fuelled a big explosion of DNA testing for ethnicity online. Personalized genomic testing is offered as DNA tests online and being sold directly to the consumer often. It is mostly used through certain genealogy websites that market such tests in order to help people understand their make up of ethnicity and discover relatives that have been long-lost. Almost more than twelve million of the people have gotten tested for websites which promise ancestry trails.

Things to remember when opting for online DNA testing services

Online DNA testing kits for checking the DNA heritage of people has never been so less of cost as it is today. Some companies have also given out free tests at least for once. It has been quite a commercial clash. However, before you opt for such tests, there are certain things you should know and keep in your mind:

• Understand the limitations of possibilities: There should be science to back up any type of claim that a company of DNA testing makes to the users. Many of them do not bother to keep evidence of the same and actually give you false details. DNA testing is able to tell your family relatedness and ancestry accurately, but sometimes there are companies that claim the prediction of the prowess or preferences of a person from their DNA. Those are just fake promises made to fascinate people. Understand that there are limits to the things that are possible to be known from your DNA.
• Be ready for all the information: When you go for online DNA testing services, not only our ancestry is checked, but also other tests are made. This could lead to some wary revelations or discoveries that you are not prepared for. For a little extra payment, you can get extra tests done which will give you estimates of disease risk. Think carefully whether you actually want all the information and if it is valid, before all the proceedings begin.
• Consider the follow-up medical advice you might require: Sometimes, information about genes can get difficult for interpretation and complex. They might actually hold certain medical implications related to you along with your family. At such times, relying solely on the interpretation through the internet is not recommended. They might need interpretation from a professional or you might need genetic counselling for coming in terms with the information.
• Think of the effect of the results on your insurance: Even though in certain countries health insurances from private companies cannot be affected in any way by the results of genetic tests, companies of life insurance can surely use them against their applicants. There is very less consumer protection in such consequences where companies use the results for doing discrimination against them. On the request of the company, all kinds of results of genetic tests have to be disclosed when application for life insurance is being done, including the online ones. If there is any indication of increased disease risk, it might be used against you.
• Access to data from your DNA: Always consider the possibility of who is going to gain access to the data received from your DNA, once you hand in the samples. Some companies of such online tests have been known to not comply with guidelines on confidentiality, use of data and privacy. It can get difficult to protect your data in such situations. So, read through the minute prints carefully to be sure of what you are consenting to.

Reaching towards the root of your genes

It is amazing in several ways that you can get access to your personal code of DNA through online DNA testing services. The companies and sites provide a gateway to fascinations and actual breakdown of heritages down to the very core. You never know what genes and cultures you might possess. The revelation holds a key to humanity though, showing people that we all are humans and possess cultures of one another. There is no reason to differentiate on such minuscule things of race, religion, culture and castes.

Cause of unsafety

The privacy risks do not get understood well by the consumers. The situation of the company and its privacy statement may change without any prior warning. Federal government and law enforcement can pressurize the companies to give out your DNA and the information so obtained to them. Actions like hacking have put a lot of companies in various industries at risk. In the end, it might not be you who will benefit from the data obtained.

How safe are online DNA testing services?

There ought to be no sure answer to that question. It varies from company to company on whether they are trustworthy or not, as such businesses are based entirely on trust. Without the trust of the users, these companies would not even exist. It is essential for you, the consumer to be careful and aware of what you are going to sign up for. Reading the finely printed documents is a critical step to such services. It might seem like an unnecessary and lengthy process, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run. Who does not want to have that satisfaction of knowing that there are no otherwise terms included? Well, definitely not the ones who care about their DNA information.

DNA is among the most personal biological fingerprint of a person. It can reveal a lot of things about you whether you like it or not. What is important is who has access to such information and what they do with it. Online DNA testing services are a way of connecting people to their ancestral genes and letting them know their heritage. But things can get out of the control of the owners without proper observation. People just need to be careful and aware of things happening around them.

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