Since December of 2017, all I wanted for Christmas was an ancestry test. I saw advertisements for 23 & Me, along with videos from YouTube creators I watch, most notably Shane Dawson. This upcoming Christmas all I literally asked for was the ancestry + health test. The only downside of the product was the price, $200 for a simple test. I knew of my lineage and ancestry, but there is something more valuable about seeing percent by percent of what makes ‘me’ me. During this past year of longing for the test – I would read about risks and concerns other people had about participating in the test, (which I will get into at the end of the article) and at times it would discourage me from wanting the test. Although in the end, I already enlisted in the Navy so the government already knows everything about me lol, so I brushed off the negative press.

Christmas night of 2018, I opened a small box which I knew held the contents to something I wanted for over a year. Holding it in my hands was surreal I will admit, information about me that I never would’ve had the chance to know about myself.  The test is pretty simple, spit in a clear tube until it reaches the line. It says not to eat or drink anything 30 minutes prior to spitting into the tube. It’s gross, I’m not even going to lie. After completing this, you mix in the solution, shake it up, and place it in the bio-hazard bag they provide. It was quick, and easy – along with the shipping, all you have to do is put it back into the mailbox at a postal office. It takes about a week for them to receive the sample, and another few weeks to analyze it. It was nerve wracking to think about what I could be – despite already having an idea.

I woke up one morning at 6 am, and literally sprinted out of bed to share my results – to sum it up, it was pretty expected. A possibility of conflict between families can occur, due to the fact that some unwanted data can show up. Not to get deep, but growing up I never had a dad, and even though I had an idea of who he was  – I never really ever knew if he was my dad. My Tia has all these theories that this other guy is my real dad, which everyone sort of brushed off. The person I assumed was my dad was for the most part full Mexican, along with my mom being half. The tests showed only a lower percentage of this, which drew me to the conclusion that I really don’t even know who my dad is. Regardless, I wasn’t bothered by it, but it can cause drama between families for sure. Moral of the story is, be prepared for shocking information. All in all, I think it was a cool experience. The process was interesting, and seeing what you are percent for percent was super cool (and worth it in my opinion).

Now for some conspiracy theories, 23andMe never discards your DNA, and isn’t clear with what they do with it. Numerous amounts of DNA samples have been collected by the company, why are they still there? The FDA has had conflicts with the company, stating that, “it is missing their true function, and consequently the agency has no clue about the real dangers they pose.” It has also reportedly blew through FDA guidelines, and has had problems getting clearance that they have been selling since 2007. Conspiracy theories also say that they sell your health information to drug companies, and health insurance companies (which I wouldn’t doubt honestly). Cloning has also been tossed around, but in hindsight if I’m 50, and I had a chance to be 17 again…it’s not a bad offer.

The risks are definitely there, and honestly these conspiracy theories aren’t even that far fetched so take this with a grain of salt. It’s cool to find out what you are, but also this company could be manipulating and exploiting thousands of DNA samples as we speak…