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Are you familiar with 23 and Me DNA testing? Would that give an adoptee or anybody for that matter information about birth parents? What if the father stated on the birth certificate is not the biological father? If the adoptee has their own DNA from 23 and Me and then sees the test results from their parents, would that person become aware that the father on the birth certificate is not really the biological father?
I've had a couple of friends do this testing. One got a letter from (via 23 and Me) somebody claiming to be a long lost cousin. Some of the info he wrote about did ring a few bells are too close to be coincidence. Another friend is scared to do it even tho her child is requesting it and has done it herself because the birth certificate father is not the biological father and she is worried her child can see this.
23 and Me is fabulous. They even go into inheritable diseases and health concerns based on genetics. They can even test for the Breast Cancer gene. I bet with all the DNA testing that is done, families are getting surprises everyday. The fact that even those persons who believe they know their biological parents, because this is what they've been told, can now discover otherwise, is scary.
A birth parent need not take the test. If his/her sibling, child, or parent (of theirs) takes the test, a match will be made if the relative (child) also takes the test with the same company (you have to opt out of it to not see any matches). Matches are made up to 8 generations sometimes. But unless you're a DNA genius and family tree guru; finding the link between distant and sometimes even close cousins can't be made that easily. But it is very possible.
23 and Me is fabulous. They even go into inheritable diseases and health concerns based on genetics. They can even test for the Breast Cancer gene. I bet with all the DNA testing that is done, families are getting surprises everyday. The fact that even those persons who believe they know their biological parents, because this is what they've been told, can now discover otherwise, is scary.
A birth parent need not take the test. If his/her sibling, child, or parent (of theirs) takes the test, a match will be made if the relative (child) also takes the test with the same company (you have to opt out of it to not see any matches). Matches are made up to 8 generations sometimes. But unless you're a DNA genius and family tree guru; finding the link between distant and sometimes even close cousins can't be made that easily. But it is very possible.
I'd agree. 23 and me, and other such DNA search companies have now rendered all of the usual "excuses" for contact and reunion moot.
Hell, those with "23 and me" on their side have WAY more accurate attention than do biological children of the 1940s through 1980s. There were no computers and information was basically given by the patient,
I really don't know how my grandparents passed. I was told things like "in her sleep" and "he had a heart problem" or "because she was old".
I will really never know. And it's not a big deal. Honestly, I don't care.
Susankate: Are you familiar with 23 and Me DNA testing? Would that give an adoptee or anybody for that matter information about birth parents? What if the father stated on the birth certificate is not the biological father? If the adoptee has their own DNA from 23 and Me and then sees the test results from their parents, would that person become aware that the father on the birth certificate is not really the biological father?
I've had a couple of friends do this testing. One got a letter from (via 23 and Me) somebody claiming to be a long lost cousin. Some of the info he wrote about did ring a few bells are too close to be coincidence. Another friend is scared to do it even tho her child is requesting it and has done it herself because the birth certificate father is not the biological father and she is worried her child can see this.
Sorry to take so long to get back to you, NK. Here is the page for 23andme and for Family TreeDNA.
In regards to your first friend, your friend and the "long lost cousin" would have had their DNA analysed using autosomal DNA. Although the following info is for another company, FamilyTree DNA, it helps explain some of the ins and outs:
In regards to your friend and her daughter, what exactly are they interested in? If they are more interested in 1) where in the world their ancestors are from; and/or 2) a health overview, they can order the test without asking for the relative finder test. Even so, there is the possibility even witht he ancestral background health tests that one could discover things on any of the tests that might make one think "Hang on, that doesn't fit". With the relative finder test, if a close relative of the biological father or even the bfather himself has submitted his DNA for relative finder testing then that will show up and that is a risk that one will have to be aware of.
From what I've heard, 23andme seem to be better for those who want an ancestral background health test and/or health overview and Family Tree DNA is better for relative finding. However, it is recommended that one join both if one is looking for relatives because they don't have overlapping relative pools. It is actually genealogy enthuisiasts that are mostly into the relative finding as often they have extensive charts already re their ancestors but perhaps not so much with more recent additions and thus when they make contact with a relative, they can then exchange information to confirm the accuracy of their charts and to add more relatives to the chart.
An an Australian, I don't know how useful the relative finder would be for me as I don't know how many Australians have submitted DNA. It certainly wouldn't help me find my bfather but it could help narrow things down when cross-referenced with other information I might have. Btw I don't even know whether I wish to contact my bfather but wouldn't mind knowing who he is. My life will be fine if I don't know but as a curious person, it would be interesting to know.
DNA Testing: 23andMe. Tells you things about one's medical history that even birth families aren't aware of. Thank goodness for advances in science and technology.
It won't be long before everyone is tested as part of preventive medicine. Wouldn't be a bad idea. Then, adopted persons would not have to worry about the "hassle" of obtaining their OBC for medical reasons.
DNA Testing: 23andMe. Tells you things about one's medical history that even birth families aren't aware of. Thank goodness for advances in science and technology.
It won't be long before everyone is tested as part of preventive medicine. Wouldn't be a bad idea. Then, adopted persons would not have to worry about the "hassle" of obtaining their OBC for medical reasons.
DNA testing can tell you somethings, like if you carry BRAC or if you have a specific mutation but it is very limited in terms of things like predisposition to most kinds of heart disease, lupus, most kinds of familial cancers, etc.
Originally Posted by Artful Dodger
I have always noted that my adoption file/OBC
was unsealed by a judge for "good cause". I am not the only adoptee who has
faced severe medical issues and won't be the last.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaded
DNA Testing: 23andMe. Tells you things about one's medical history that even birth families aren't aware of. Thank goodness for advances in science and technology.
It won't be long before everyone is tested as part of preventive medicine. Wouldn't be a bad idea. Then, adopted persons would not have to worry about the "hassle" of obtaining their OBC for medical reasons.
Jaded,
They have yet to find all the gene(s) for the commonly known diseases. They know even fewer of the gene(s) for the 7,000 rare diseases, and far less money and fewer patients to study for them. I am in two different studies for my rare disease - both of which are trying to not only figure out how to treat people with my disease, medicines for it, as well as which medicines cause more harm, and the gene(s) that cause it, not to mention life span...
Right up to the Surgeon General states that a good family health history is far more predictive than genetic tests. Not to mention compounded by the lack of qualified doctors who are schooled in it to know enough to assist you, or the fact that diseases appear to work differently based on other genes that run in your family, so the family health history is better at predicting how it will work in your family than genetic testing.
Edited to add: Based on the estimated 25 Million Americans with a rare disease that means what 1 in 12 Americans will be diagnosed with a rare disease in their lifetime.
They have yet to find all the gene(s) for the commonly known diseases. They know even fewer of the gene(s) for the 7,000 rare diseases, and far less money and fewer patients to study for them. I am in two different studies for my rare disease - both of which are trying to not only figure out how to treat people with my disease, medicines for it, as well as which medicines cause more harm, and the gene(s) that cause it, not to mention life span...
Right up to the Surgeon General states that a good family health history is far more predictive than genetic tests. Not to mention compounded by the lack of qualified doctors who are schooled in it to know enough to assist you, or the fact that diseases appear to work differently based on other genes that run in your family, so the family health history is better at predicting how it will work in your family than genetic testing.
Edited to add: Based on the estimated 25 Million Americans with a rare disease that means what 1 in 12 Americans will be diagnosed with a rare disease in their lifetime.
It seems to me that the correct diagnosis of your illness and also your participation in the studies will help not just you but members of your biological family.
Also, as I said in a previous post, it is all very well knowing that one has DNA markers for a disease but actually knowing how the disease manifested in one's relatives can also be helpful.
Also, I believe that some forms of infertillity are inherited and knowing that one's biological mothers had issues in becoming pregnant could be helpful. For example, my bmom never had a living child after me and if I had had a family, there is the possibility that her difficulties could have been inherited. Even if they weren't, I am sure one's obstetrician would be interested in things like that so that they could watch their patients more carefully.
Also, I work in the medical field and family history is considered very important. A close adoptive relative of mine has a terminal disease cancer and it is one of the ones that is considered very inheritable so as he is in touch with his biological family, they will know to be screened for it.
I've been meaning to come back to this because after recently reading two family member's DNA results I'm convinced that I'll get such a test for the child(ren) we adopt. I looked up the Human Genome Project and found this FAQ for those considering adoption.
I had an amniocentesis when I was pregnant with my son. Although this was mainly recommended to rule out Down's Syndrome (I was in my early 30s) and it was done almost 20 years ago, I learned about many more diseases and disorders that I never need to worry about my son contracting than I had thought. Fortunately, there was no bad news.
My daughter is adopted, as many of you know. She is not interested in learning about diseases - it scares her.
She is a little curious to find out if she is %100 Korean. We are told by so many Asian people (not Korean) that she does not "look Korean", but instead Chinese, or Vietnamese. I've known some Koreans and she does not look strikingly Korean. Or perhaps stereotypically Korean, might be a better term.
Asians all seem to want to claim her as "their own". Then there's my father, who thinks that she looks "Scots-Irish".
It's up to her. As for myself, I am thinking about it.
Has anyone here done it?
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