A breakdown of DNA testing and how to get started.
Note: This is to educate about DNA testing, not to promote or discourage it.
Source: International Child Search Alliance
Slide text:
Slide one: Overview, Adoptee DNA testing.
This is to educate about DNA testing, not to promote or discourage it.
Slide two: Why DNA test
There are many reasons why some adoptees decide to take a DNA test: Adoptees from closed adoptions don’t have access to information from their past, so DNA testing might help them...
Learn medical history/predispositions
Understand ethnic origins
Try to locate biological relatives
Slide three: What to consider
There are many things to consider before doing a DNA test.
Some of these things might be...
If you want answers to these questions
How these answers might affect your family
Privacy concerns
If this is main deterrent, you can register on the DNA site with an alias name.
Slide four: Start here
23&Me
Super popular for Chinese adoptees and people of Chinese heritage
It’s a saliva test
Recommended to start here
Ancestry DNA
If possible, it’s best to supplement your 23&Me results here
It’s less popular for Chinese adoptees, but some families have found matches through it
It’s a saliva test
Slide five: GEDmatch
Regardless of which tests you do, upload your results to GEDmatch!
Global database of DNA tests
It’s possible to receive more matches here than on just 23&Me or Ancestry DNA
Accepts uploads from 23&Me and Ancestry DNA free of charge
There are at least 1,000 birth families from China on GEDmatch
Slide six: Also upload to...
After taking 23&Me and Ancestry DNA tests, you can also upload results to these Chinese sites to increase chances at finding a match:
23Mofang
Accepts 23&Me and Ancestry DNA uploads
Database is kept in China
Used by Nanchang Project and Roots of Love search organizations to DNA test birth families
WeGene
Accepts 23&Me and Ancestry DNA uploads
Database is kept in China
Very similar to 23Mofang, but it’s best to be in as many databases as possible to increase the chances of a match