Once the province of crime labs and television shows, DNA tests have become common gifts for birthdays, holidays and special occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Rapid tests like 23andMe And AncestryDNA have made the process of learning your family history easier, less expensive and faster than ever.
But in her new book, The Psychology of Genealogy, psychologist Susan Moore warns that you should consider all risks before taking a test.
“Should you give DNA kits as gifts? It can be fun; it can be risky,” Moore said.
Why you should exercise caution
Beyond the security concerns of having a company have your DNA on file with the potential for data breaches and privacy concerns, emotional fallout can be an unexpected – but not uncommon – result of these DNA tests. Although genetic testing promises answers and connections, these results can upend long-held beliefs about your identity and your family.
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With over 30 million users and a multi-billion dollar industry, surprising matches and results are common. Misattributed paternity, discovery of donor conceptions, late adoptions, and unknown family members all come from growing databases. For people unprepared for these consequences, the psychological effects can be serious, according to Moore.
Moore calls it “identity disruption” when new genetic information can undermine a person’s sense of self and belonging. She says some absorb the news and move on, while others face betrayal, distrust and heartbreak.
Why do people test anyway?
There are many practical and real risks associated with DNA testing. So why are millions of people still buying them and sending in their swabs?
Moore points to some basic motivations, such as curiosity, the need for grounding, and the intellectual pleasure of discovering family traditions as to why people still undergo genetic testing. Genealogy can bring joy as people find long-lost relatives or overcome research obstacles. Yet curiosity often encounters difficult and unexpected truths.
“DNA gives you new and interesting clues about the structure of your family tree, but there is still much work to be done to make sense of these clues,” Moore said.
If you’re still interested in genetic testing, Moore offers some simple advice: Only test if you want to explore ancestry and are willing to learn how to interpret results and contact matches ethically. Don’t give away a kit without asking first, and make sure recipients are emotionally prepared and aware of the privacy risks.
