# Why should spend, or not spend, $99 on 23andme? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2013, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576 "2013-02-07T10:53:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/21 "2013-02-21T01:34:25Z")
hijack Would someone please explain the interest in meeting (or learning of) someone who somehow shares a common ancestor? Who even _knows_ the names of their great-great-great-great- whatever? Some huge % of white people are descended from Charlemagne - so what? /hijack ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/22 "2013-02-21T10:22:48Z")
But they can only find 990 relatives if those 990 people have signed up for the service, right? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/23 "2013-02-21T10:54:07Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > hijack > Would someone please explain the interest in meeting (or learning of) someone who somehow shares a common ancestor? > Who even _knows_ the names of their great-great-great-great- whatever? > Some huge % of white people are descended from Charlemagne - so what? > /hijack Some people are interested in things that other people don’t care about or understand. It’s a human thing. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/24 "2013-02-21T10:59:00Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > A dinner guest the other night excitedly announced that she had had her spit examined closely by this company for only $99, and she learned so much about herself from it. I asked her what she learned, and she went on about she’s 91% this and 4% that, and I wondered (not wanting to turn the dinner party into an inquisition) “Is that so valuable?” Seriously folks, can some of you remember that this is an international board, and some of us have never heard of _23andme._ I read the above paragraph thinking that the dinner guest had her bbq-spit-rotisserie (call it what you will) totally overhauled/serviced by this wonderful company, and she was extremely pleased with the result, and EVEN LEARNED some extra stuff about her ability to perform the next service herself!!! Hey, I’D pay someone ninety-nine bucks to clean MY bbq. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/25 "2013-02-21T11:36:54Z")
How would I know that 23andme is marketed exclusively in the US? Are Americans the only ones with chromosomes or something? Did Charlemagne become a US citizen when I wasn’t looking? Meantime, you’re letting “crazy American commercials for U.S. products” threads go without complaint? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/26 "2013-02-21T13:21:18Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > But they can only find 990 relatives if those 990 people have signed up for the service, right? I’d sign up but only if I turn out to be a distant relation to the Senate Minority leader. Sadly, I’ve got 990 relatives but a Mitch ain’t one. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/27 "2013-02-21T14:20:05Z")
/slowclap Me, I’m wondering which macular degeneration test they used. There are at least two available that I know of, and they do not test the exact same sets of genes (though there is overlap). ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/28 "2013-02-21T15:40:15Z")
> [@OneDay](#): > > This thread screams SPAM to me. I agree and reported accordingly. For those wondering, in 2002 a new spambot was developed that coincided with Internet protocol xkc[d.](http://xkcd.com/810/)810. Usernames were registered en masse and recursive algorithms were developed to mask commercial posts. Though many usernames lay dormant and many were discovered early on, some successfully maintained membership for eleven years–until the botnet owner activated them and, well, here we are. Insidious, subtle, hard to detect, but spam nonetheless. Amazing what you can do with cutting edge technolog[y.](http://xkcd.com/606/) Also, the cake is a lie. (In actuality, I was on the fence curiosity-wise and leaning towards Ancestry’s service. This thread has pretty much pushed me over an to the 23 side of things. Very effective spam. I hope PRR gets a digital snack from his botnet overloards.) ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/29 "2013-02-21T15:56:50Z")
How does [23andme.com](http://23andme.com) compare to National Geographic’s genomic project test? NG’s is doubled their price from $100 to $200 a while back, and while I still really want to do it, I can’t justify it to myself. But a $100 for a comparable test, I’ll hold my brother down and make him spit in a cup. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/30 "2013-02-22T15:19:06Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > How would I know that 23andme is marketed exclusively in the US? I don’t think it is as many of my matches are in the UK and Australia. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/31 "2013-02-22T17:44:52Z")
23andme’s services are available internationally, but the postage is kinda extreme. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/32 "2013-02-23T02:49:48Z")
I fully expect job and health insurance applications in the near future to ask if you have acquired any knowledge about your genetics in order to screen out applicants with undesirable predispositions. Even though there is already a federal genetic non-discrimination law, I don’t believe it prevents them from (or being severely penalized for) asking the question. You would be out of luck if you refuse to answer, or provided genetic data they didn’t like, and the corporation could give any other reason for rejecting you…it would be impossible to prove it was discrimination. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/33 "2013-02-23T04:27:50Z")
> [@NetTrekker](#): > > I fully expect job and health insurance applications in the near future to ask if you have acquired any knowledge about your genetics in order to screen out applicants with undesirable predispositions. Even though there is already a federal genetic non-discrimination law, I don’t believe it prevents them from (or being severely penalized for) asking the question. You would be out of luck if you refuse to answer, or provided genetic data they didn’t like, and the corporation could give any other reason for rejecting you…it would be impossible to prove it was discrimination. You don’t need to provide ID or your real name when you register the bar code from a sample kit. A single person can order a truckload of kits if they so desire. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/34 "2013-02-24T07:04:39Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > How does [23andme.com](http://23andme.com) compare to National Geographic’s genomic project test? NG’s is doubled their price from $100 to $200 a while back I thought the price on these tests was supposed to be coming down? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/35 "2013-02-24T08:35:46Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > How would I know that 23andme is marketed exclusively in the US? Are Americans the only ones with chromosomes or something? Did Charlemagne become a US citizen when I wasn’t looking? Meantime, you’re letting “crazy American commercials for U.S. products” threads go without complaint? The safest thing to do is assume everything is only marketed in the US and wait for people to come in and say “Actually, we have that where we are”, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/36 "2013-02-24T14:31:26Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > hijack > Who even _knows_ the names of their great-great-great-great- whatever? > /hijack My 11th grade “Political Studies” teacher (it was actually a section within History) was from out of the region. She gave us homework to draw our family trees “as far as you can”. Confused, we asked, “uh, _how_ far?” “Oh, as far as you can!” We all had the common sense to stop in the Felipe V (early XVIII century) “blood tests”. You see, His Royal Motherfuckedness, faced with the request to call Parliament in Navarra, and with a custom but not a written law that said any citizen could take advantage of a call to Parliament to talk with the King, he claimed that you could only do so if you could prove that all your grandparents were descended from people who’d ever spoken in Parliament. The results were so much not in his favor that he repeated the stunt a few years later (for no better results); it’s common for Navarresse families to have copies of their own Tests and to keep up-to-date family trees. She almost had a nerdgasm seeing all those “only three centuries because really, getting further would have taken forever” trees. Years later Middlebro showed her our copy of the Tests - erase the “almost”. Maternal side I stop at great-grandparents and a few great-great-grands; she’s Not From Around Here, you see. Despite half my family tree being from Parts Elsewhere, I was able to find common lastnames with all my classmates but one (we were 38 in class IIRC). We figured that must be some sort of fluke: there’s bound to be common blood at some point, just not in the last three centuries. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/37 "2013-11-25T18:11:12Z")
FDA warns Google-backed 23andMe to halt DNA testing services > **[FDA warns Google-backed 23andMe to halt sales of genetic tests](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fda-warns-google-backed-23andme-161317200.html)** > > (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned 23andMe, a company backed by Google Inc, to halt sales of its genetic tests because they have not received regulatory clearance. 23andMe, which was founded in 2006 by Anne Wojcicki with... ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/38 "2013-11-25T18:26:13Z")
Pretty much as I said in the other genetic testing thread. 23andMe is giving out medical advise which has not been proven over multiple, decade long genetic studies involving thousands of patients, as you would expect would be required to provide accurate results. “You have a gene with makes you N% more likely to develop Fluxomioma!” Really? And how many people were studied who had variants of this gene to determine this? ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/39 "2013-11-25T20:25:05Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Pretty much as I said in the other genetic testing thread. 23andMe is giving out medical advise which has not been proven over multiple, decade long genetic studies involving thousands of patients, as you would expect would be required to provide accurate results. > > “You have a gene with makes you N% more likely to develop Fluxomioma!” > Really? And how many people were studied who had variants of this gene to determine this? From their website: > [@](#): > > Based on your DNA, we’ll provide specific health recommendations for you. Because everyone’s results are different, the recommendations will vary. Below are example recommendations you may receive with your reports. This is where they get in trouble–saying they’ll provide health recommendations. And the fact their testing platform hasn’t been approved this, AFAIK (Illumina HumanOmniExpress SNP chip). They’re not actually doing research themselves, but data mining the literature and bioinformatics databases, which is what everyone else does, like Ingenuity with their Variant Analysis software, for example. I’m sure they have created their own proprietary databases. They hire people to do this. As of today, they’re looking for a Statistical Geneticist for Parkinson’s Disease: > [@](#): > > At 23andMe, we believe that the current crop of genetic association studies is just the beginning of a tidal wave of discovery in genetics and neurodegenerative diseases. We are looking for a colleague with the statistical expertise to handle the world’s largest genetic database of Parkinson’s patients and make a meaningful contribution to Parkinson’s disease research. > > Qualifications: > Ph.D. in statistics, genetics, biostatistics, epidemiology, neuroscience or related field > Proficiency with scripting languages such as Python or R > Experience analyzing genetic data > An interest in Parkinson’s disease and/or other neurological diseases > Experience working with whole genome sequence data is a plus This is pretty standard–showing this variant is associated with that condition. You could find tons of papers on PubMed–some done better and more meaningful than others. But they’re not authorized to provide medical advice based on their testing. This is what the [FDA had to say about it](http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2013/ucm376296.htm): > [@](#): > > The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sending you this letter because you are marketing the 23andMe Saliva Collection Kit and Personal Genome Service (PGS) without marketing clearance or approval in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act). > … > For example, your company’s website at [23andMe DNA Testing Kit for Health + Ancestry - 23andMe](http://www.23andme.com/health) (most recently viewed on November 6, 2013) markets the PGS for providing “health reports on 254 diseases and conditions,” including categories such as “carrier status,” “health risks,” and “drug response,” and specifically as a “first step in prevention” that enables users to “take steps toward mitigating serious diseases” such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and breast cancer. Most of the intended uses for PGS listed on your website, a list that has grown over time, are medical device uses under section 201(h) of the FD&C Act. Most of these uses have not been classified and thus require premarket approval or de novo classification, as FDA has explained to you on numerous occasions. > … > Some of the uses for which PGS is intended are particularly concerning, such as assessments for BRCA-related genetic risk and drug responses (e.g., warfarin sensitivity, clopidogrel response, and 5-fluorouracil toxicity) because of the potential health consequences that could result from false positive or false negative assessments for high-risk indications such as these. > … > However, even after these many interactions with 23andMe, we still do not have any assurance that the firm has analytically or clinically validated the PGS for its intended uses, which have expanded from the uses that the firm identified in its submissions. > … I think it’s more about 23andme being authorized to provide this type of data and “make recommendations”, and less about the genetic association data they’re mining. Certainly the association evidence for certain diseases can be stronger than others, as you point out. The BRCA variants, for example, versus Fluxomioma genes (no hits in PubMed, so the evidence seems lacking ;)). And correlation doesn’t mean cause. If you have the background and knew you had a certain variant, you could find a lot of the information yourself. But most people don’t and wouldn’t know how to evaluate and verify the findings in 23andme’s report. Where’s the other genetic testing thread, BTW. I’d be interested in that one. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576/40 "2013-11-25T21:19:26Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Where’s the other genetic testing thread, BTW. I’d be interested in that one. [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=706667) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-spend-or-not-spend-99-on-23andme/649576.md?page=3)