My Promethease experience

One of the first places that I took my raw DNA download from Ancestry.com was to a company named Promethease.com. My coworker had previously hipped me to this company when he explained to me that 23andme.com had stopped providing medical info (they have since started back).

For $5, I was able to see what conditions I am most and least at risk for. They even say something about being able to smell asparagus in urine (not sure what that is about), some reactions i might have to certain medications, and more.

It is a very detailed report, and some things in it may contradict others. For instance i had several factors that put me at risk for a condition, but i would also have positive factors that would lower my risk for that same condition.

What i took away from it is to start exercising and eating healthier because I can die from just about everything. However, if I take care of myself virtually nothing (in my genes) will do me harm, and I have the potential of living to see a very old age.

This is one of those reports that you will need to save because they only keep your raw DNA for a very limited time (45 days) before they delete it from their system. After that you will need to pay again.

I do not recommend this report if you have a tendancy to act "extra", are a hypochondriac, a drama king/queen, etc. This report does NOT diagnose you with any conditions. It may be helpful if you are working in conjunction with physicians and having symptoms that are difficult to diagnose or are having complications with medication. Again, I said it MAY help. I have not used this report in that way so I do NOT know. It may actually be no help to you at all.

DNA Privacy Concerns

While waiting on my DNA tests to come in, I did a bit of research and found that I could upload my raw DNA from Ancestry (or other vendors) to other companies and get more processing done (depending on what the company specializes in).

With this, there are a few things to keep in mind:

(1) With many of these tests, you are giving up your rights to how your DNA may be used now and in the future. Please be mindful of this and check each company's privacy rules before you hand your DNA over to them if you are at all concerned about this.

(2) Each company processes your DNA differently. There are many variables in play, and it is important to keep that in mind so that you know what you are looking at. For example, at Ancestry, I was told that I have 29% Nigerian, but at another company I was given 38%.

From what I understand, the differences exist in what the company uses to determine your ethnicity. For example, Ancestry will compare your DNA to 3000 individuals known to be indigenous to their lands. While Ancestry has 2,000,000 people to compare you with to determine if you are related, only the 3000 preset individuals are used to determine your ethnicity. I think that only 400 of them are African...so basically there is a lot of room for improvement. This is one reason why I wanted to download my raw DNA data to be processed at other companies. Some other companies compare your DNA to more indigenous people, some check your DNA for other things such as medical information, etc.

(3) Genetic testing is relatively new. As more people get tested and more information is learned about DNA, the results will get more and more detailed in the future. Some companies have more detailed info than others right now, so you may receive results that are a bit more detailed from one company compared to the other. However, if the results do not resemble each other at all, you probably need to call the company and get that straightened out. Ha, ha. Real talk.

...until next time...

My AfricanAncestry.com Experience

Here lately it's been a DNA/genealogy whirlwind. This stuff has really become a big part of my life in a good way. However, I do need to take a break from it- which I will do very soon. In the meantime, I'll try to fill in my thoughts on the additional DNA tests that I have taken with various vendors.

Today, I'll talk about my AfricanAncestry.com experience. First I will say that these tests are very expensive. Unless you specifically know the reason why you want these test, I wouldn't recommend you begin testing with this company. I took both the matriclan and the patriclan tests. To give a bit of background, the matriclan test analyzes the mitochondrial dna (mtDNA) that is passed mother to child for the last 500-2000 years. Men and women are able to take this test. The patriclan test analyzes the Y chromosome that is passed to men from father to son. Women cannot take this test because we do not have the Y chromosome. Since my brother and I share the same biological parents, I had him to take the patriclan test.

Back to what I was saying about having a specific reason for taking these tests...there are many other tests that will provide information about the countries that your ancestors are from, haplogroups, etc. and do so for much cheaper. African Ancestry actually tells you the people/ethnicity that your ancestors come from. In my mind...the matriclan and patriclan test results symbolize my connection with two of my ancestors that were most likely forced from Africa into America. These ancestors (and many of my other ancestors) endured many unspeakable hardships and are the reason that I have life today. While these tests are expensive, when compared to all that has been done on my behalf so that I could have life this very day - the costs of these tests are just pennies! While I do think that the government should provide these tests to African descendants of the enslaved since this country profited immeasurably off the "welfare" system built on the backs of our Ancestors, I won't hold my breath. I have am blessed with life and health today, and I think it is a small sacrifice to be able to know as much about my Ancestors as possible. Long story short, I had a very specific reason for wanting these tests!

These tests are a bit different from the ones at Ancestry.com. Instead of spitting in a tube, you use cotton swabs (q-tips) to collect DNA from your cheeks. When the results are processed, you are sent a packet by snail mail (postal service) that contains a letter with a few details in it and a certificate. Here are mine (and my brother's since our results are the same).

The African Ancestry results came in a thin booklet. This is what the cover looks like.

This is the letter that came with the African Ancestry matriclan test results. My mtDNA traces back to the Mende people of Sierra Leone in Africa.

This is the certificate that came with the African Ancestry matriclan test results.

This is the letter that came with the African Ancestry patriclan test results. My (brother's) yDNA traces back to the Fang people of Gabon in Africa.

This is the certificate that came with the African Ancestry patriclan test results.

And there you have it folks. I must tell you that these results give me great pride. My Ancestors were NOT slaves. They were enslaved. It is not our shame. It is the shame of the enslavers. As a descendant, I feel great honor in now knowing the cultures of the people that started the journey of me being here on American soil today. Separated, yes. But the broken circle is being pieced back together again.