23andMe Review – Is It For You?
The idea of undergoing genetic testing and attaining genetic reports is a terrifying experience for most people. After all, do you really want to know if you are genetically inclined to develop breast cancer or Alzheimer? Despite the fears though, thousands of Americans are finding themselves sending in samples of their spit to 23andMe.com.
23andMe is a revolutionary kind of service that enables you to attain unprecedented insight into your genetic makeup. While the system does disclose information that may be less pleasing for some, it also informs you about your lineage, where you come from, and at the end of the day – whether you have a condition that you can start avoiding now. As the website touts, 23andMe is a “new way to see yourself.”
If you are considering undergoing genetic testing with this service, here is an overview of what you can expect and whether your $200 investment is well spent.
About 23andMe
23andMe is a personal genome service where you receive a kit, provide some personal information, and send it in so the professionals working at the lab can scan your DNA to detect health conditions and anything related to your genetic data.
While the service was banned in 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration, it has since made a strong comeback and is now one of the most popular DNA screening services in the country. Also, with the comeback came a price hike. The 23andMe kits used to cost $99 dollars, but now you pay $199, including shipping and handling.
When most people consider getting genetically tested using a service like 23andMe, one of the first questions they have is whether the process is worth it. To answer that question – it really just depends what you are looking for. If you are interested in the insight, then it will be worthwhile to you. Otherwise, if you have a fear of knowing, then you my just want to recommend the product to your friends and family members who actually may be interested.
How 23andMe Works
The 23andMe Process is extremely easy. After you pay $199 to 23andMe, you receive a kit. The kit contains a vial for your spit sample. In addition to sending in a spit sample, which entails shipping costs that you pay for, you also need to register with the 23andMe website.
To register, you need to use the unique barcode that you received with the package. During the registration process, you will be asked to provide your name, date of birth, and sex. One of the most alarming features of this process is that it will notify you that in sending in your vial, you must acknowledge that “you may learn information about yourself that you do not anticipate.” Hopefully that is fact that you can deal with, otherwise you cannot proceed with the registration process.
After you have agreed to the terms, you can also designate whether you want other people in the testing process to search for you by name or through genetic matches. This is a pretty neat feature since you may find people that are keenly genetically similar to you. For some people, this may not be as great of a feature, but for others – it can give insight into a convoluted genetic history that they are unaware of.
Finally, the last step that you need to undergo is to get yourself ready for the spit sample. You are not allowed to drink, eat, chew gum, brush your teeth, or use mouthwash for at least 30 minutes before the sample. After you have waited the required amount of time, you can spit into the vial and it will mix with the existing solution. The existing solution preserves your saliva and stabilizes it into a solid sample that can be tested at the lab.
The lab takes about two weeks to test your sample and issue you a report. The most exciting part of 23andMe is not going through the steps of getting your sample ready and creating an account – but getting the report that results from all of your work.
The Report – What You Find Out
Reports issued by 23andMe are extensive, to say the least. You learn a lot of things about yourself that you may not have known or that you may have known erroneously. There are many things that you learn that you may find important. For some, carrier status is the star of the report.
Carrier status is when you carry a genetic variant for a certain health condition. The report not only notifies you if you are a genetic carrier, but if you can potentially pass the condition down to your child. A few of the most popular carrier status reports include Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, and Hereditary Hearing Loss.
In addition to reports about your health conditions and hereditary status, you also receive an ancestry report. The ancestry report provides you with insight into where your ancestors came from and have lived throughout history. The ancestry report includes ancestry composition, maternal and paternal lineage, Neanderthal, and DNA relatives too.
You also receive a wellness report, which includes how your DNA relates to lactose digestion, muscle type, and caffeine consumption. The report includes alcohol flush reaction, muscle composition, lactose intolerance, and caffeine consumption. If you think about it, this is some pretty interesting information to learn about yourself and that you would not otherwise know.
To make the test more creative, the creators also provide you with trait reports for 19 different traits. For instance, the report tells you what type of hair you have, how well you are able to recognize certain tastes, your facial features, and if you have a uni-brow or freckles. Granted, you should already know these qualities about yourself, but it is still interesting to see it in a report, nonetheless.
Final Thoughts On 23andMe
Overall, 23andMe is one of the most creative and thorough reports that you can attain to gain insight into where you come from, what health conditions you are prone on developing, your wellness, and personal traits. If you are able to stomach getting a good look at your genetic makeup, then this report is highly recommended.
While the cost is not low, it certainly is a good deal. For just $200, you learn more about who you are.
