23andme is billed as a leading health and ancestry DNA firm. I have held onto the kit for a few weeks but today I finally registered my kit online.
The process officially begins once your barcode is registered. After reading the privacy agreement I started to procrastinate again. The idea makes me a bit nervous. Why that is, well there are several reasons. Rather than feel as though I will be empowered by this information, I feel fearful of the unknown. Because in addition to ancestry information, 23andme takes an additional step forward. It also reports on the other 22 genes and gives health information, thus the name, 23andme.
Being fearless?
I am not certain what I will do with this information. But I am moving forward. There is much to share about this software and how it slices and processes health information. By Monday I will mail my saliva into the company and I will keep you posted.
How do you feel about genetic and health testing?
swarthy daisy says
Great post! I can’t wait for my results!
Patricia A Patton says
Thanks Swarthydaisy. Must say now that I have sent it in, I too am anxious.
Meredith says
Hi Patricia, I wrote about my 23andMe experience so far too
For me, I want to learn about both my health risks & ancestry. After reading the privacy statements, I did mull it over for a few minutes. However, I feel comfortable sharing because I want to contribute to the overall understanding of the genome & hopefully help researchers see more links to racial/ethnic group disease expression.
Patricia A Patton says
Hi Meredith
I was sure I’d responded to this but it looks like that may not be the truth. I am fascinated by genomics. I have been following the field for some time but it has taken this long for the barriers to entry to become accessible. We will see what we shall see, that is for sure.
Anne @MidlifeBlvd says
So this is purely for health screening and doesn’t do ancestry testing? My dad just did the one for ancestry, but I’d love to do the health screening one as well.
Patricia A Patton says
No Ann this test goes beyond the genetic/ancestry test of one gene. It gives health information on the other 22 genes, thus the 23andme name of the company. And the options for slicing and dicing the information blow your mind. I finally mailed it off yesterday so will be moving forward in the process. But, rather and, I will be posting more on what is possible to investigate health-wise. This is truly some amazing stuff. Thanks for reading.
Alli Polin says
So interesting! Genetic testing you can do at home. I wonder, how does it hook you up with a genetic counselor to understand your results?
Patricia A Patton says
Hi Alli, thanks for visiting the site. This company is really a bad ass firm started by the wife (or former wife) of one of the founders of Google who first came to my attention at SXSW last year. The advance with this product is you also get health information. This morning I followed instructions, put the designated amount of saliva into the tube and will mail within next couple of hours. I am not actually a number. I have seen the software and will write more about it once I get into the process. But it is amazing. I guess you have also heard about the at home HIV-Aids test that gives a response within 15-20 minutes.
Come back. Love http://www. breaktheframe.com
Patricia
swarthy daisy says
They have those services available I hear.
Beverly Mahone says
Patricia,
I am very much in favor of the testing. There are skeletons in my family’s closet that I am interested in revealing so this would give me an avenue in which to do it.
Patricia says
Thanks Bev. Skeletons in my closet as full as well. I do not know what to expect. I will keep you posted.