Founded in 2006 by Anne Wojcicki, 23andme is one of the most popular companies in the ancestry and health niche. Like others, it uses DNA data to provide ancestry and health reports. In 2013, the company (and others) was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from delivering reports on disease risks.
In 2017, the ban was lifted for some diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The company recently took a $300million stake in GlaxoSmithKline in a partnership where customer data will be used to develop new drugs.
Unlike the others, the 23andme DNA test kit collects saliva samples instead of cheek swabs. Are you thinking about buying the kit? Here are eight things you need to know about the company.
It Can Help You Find Distant Relatives
23andme offers the DNA Relatives feature, which allows you to find other people that share a familial DNA with you in their database. You will be able to see the extent of your connection with your matches. This feature can help you to find relatives that have descended from the same family lineage. You will also see all your close relatives in the database and where they are located around the world.
The Platform is Easy to Navigate
23andme’s mobile app and website are some of the most intuitive you’ll find in the industry. You will find a lot of information on the science of genetics and genealogy, as well as a lot of easy to digest information on your ancestry and health.
The Test Results are Most Accurate in Certain Areas
As is the case with any DNA test service, 23andme’s results are not 100% foolproof. The accuracy of your result will be determined by the number of people that have been tested in the populations relevant to you. This means that results from North America will almost certainly be more reliable than one from South Asia, for example. However, the company is always adding new regions to its database, increasing the accuracy of the ancestry reports.
23andme’s DNA health reports are comprehensive, for the diseases it covers. However, it is not effective for all conditions. A recent report showed that the company’s Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk test fails to pick up 90% of the carriers of the relevant genes. No other such reports have been conducted for other health conditions it covers, but this further highlights why the results generated (by this brand and similar companies) are never absolute.
You Can Choose To Opt-Out of Some Health Risk Reports
23andme’s genetic health risk report comes as a part of the package you are paying for when you order the full DNA test. The conditions covered include Alzheimer’s disease, breast and ovarian cancer, and Parkinson’s disease. However, the company understands the fact that the result of these reports can be upsetting for some people, and have made it easy to opt-out.
However, this doesn’t cover all the health risks. You will still be able to see your genetic disposition for conditions such as anemia, blood clot disorder, Celiac disease, adult-onset vision loss, and more. You will also see which of your relatives are at risk of these conditions.
As we’ve mentioned above, the health risk report is not conclusive. You should talk to a genetic counselor and other qualified healthcare professionals for more advice on what any health result generate from your DNA test means.
It Covers More than Two Dozen Traits
With 23andme’s DNA test, you will also see how your DNA influences your physical traits. The report will help you find out your DNA affects your physical traits such as hair color, baldness, freckles, unibrow, dimples, and more. Over 30 traits are covered in this part of the report.
It is Affordable
Currently, it costs $99 to get 23andme’s Ancestry and Traits report. This covers the cost of the saliva collection kit and the test itself. The health report is offered as a follow-up sale after you’ve paid for the Ancestry and Traits test. It will take the cost of the total package to $199, which is still cheaper than the prices charged by their competition.
The lack of price segregation on the pricing page, however, might be considered a negative for some people that will love a cheaper entry-level plan. For others, however, the single plan is perfect. Multi-tiered price plans can cause FOMO (fear of missing out), which can trigger unnecessary spending.
The pricing for 23andme’s products does not include shipping. You’ll have to pay for that separately on the checkout page.
Your Data is in Your Hands
23andme allows you to decide what happens to your saliva sample, and the data generated after the test has been completed. According to the company, they don’t share, sell, lease, or rent information tagged with your personal details without your permission.
They, however, share aggregate information which they claim is for business development and research. This means your name and contact information will be removed from the data so that it can’t be traced back to you. You can also choose to have your sample included in scientific research voluntarily. Even if you consent to this while signing up, you can change your mind later by going to your dashboard to update your preferences.
You Can Download Your Data
After you’ve had your DNA test completed, you can request for the data. You can upload your saved data on other platforms that are compatible with 23andme’s reports to gain more insight into your DNA. There are around a dozen platforms on the web that will process your 23andme-generated data.
Conclusion
23andme is one of the oldest DNA analysis companies around offering comprehensive ancestry and health reports. The company’s no-frills pricing approach means you don’t need to spend too much time on deliberations about the right plan to pay for. The pricing plan doesn’t cover the health report by default, so you need to opt-in. However, you need to be wary of the results, especially when it concerns cancer-related conditions.