Are Home DNA Kits Accurate?

With the explosion of Do-It-Yourself products available online, you might wonder if something as vital as a paternity or an ancestry test could be trusted to be performed by yourself at home. There are certainly plenty of products available: laboratories around the world offer testing services to hospitals, governments and businesses, many of whom sell DNA kits to consumers for a price between $50 and $150 - this does not include the cost of getting the genome analyzed and the results sent back. So, cost aside, can these at-home kits be trusted? And, if so, under which circumstances should they be used?

The fair answer is, DNA testing (or profiling), has come a long way since the 1980's. The most common analysis performed in North America, called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, is used by the FBI and is able to provide results that are above 99% accurate for cases such as paternity testing. It works by comparing specific regions of one's genetic profile (called loci) to the same region in another genome, and then using statistical analysis to conclude whether or not they share inheritance patterns. Most modern laboratories now have the technological know-how to accurately execute this test. When DNA is collected carefully and without contamination, which is certainly possible in a residential setting, home testing kits can offer a similarly high success rate.

The various types of testing available, such as maternity, sibling, avuncular (aunts, grandparents), and ancestry tests all carry separate statistical accuracy rates. For example, testing whether two people are siblings, who might share only one biological parent, will have a lower success rate than testing whether two individuals are identical twins.

Ancestry DNA testing compares your genome with populations within a database. By nature, the results are purely based on probabilities. With optional paternal and maternal lineage testing, individuals can discover their "roots", which are statistical matches showing how strongly their DNA correlates with ethnic populations in separate geographic regions across the globe. Ancestral testing kits are not available in patient-doctor settings, are not covered by insurance, and are rarely used in legal proceedings. Therefore, they are probably best suited for Do-It-Yourself types who are curious about their lineage and might want to join a community of similar individuals.

Determining whether an at home DNA kit fits your needs depends on your preferences for privacy and whether or not the results will be used for legal purposes. Some companies now are offering extra documentation and services to allow for legally admissible test results. Another essential consideration is the reputation of the company and the laboratories they use. Certification by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), accreditation with the Better Business Bureau, and highly accessible customer service options are recommended. Once you get comfortable with the right company, you can rest assured that the results of an at-home DNA testing kit should be just as accurate as if you had the test performed at a professional location.

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