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If you’ve ever been even remotely interested in exploring your ancestry through a DNA kit, Amazon Prime Day has got you covered. Through July 13th, the 23&Me Health and Ancestry Kit is on sale for $99, a full 50% off its regular price (and one of the best deals we’ve ever seen on this kit).
This DNA kit allows you to take a sample of your saliva and send it to 23&Me Labs, where they will analyze it to map your ancestral family tree. Your results also include a breakdown of diseases for which you are at genetic risk (such as Parkinson’s or type 2 diabetes). Creating a 23&Me online account also allows you to choose a program that connects you with other known family members.
Best 23&Me Prime Day DNA kit deals
The 23&Me Prime Day DNA Kit provides frequently asked questions
Are DNA kits safe to use?
Yes, they are completely safe. Most DNA kits only ask for a small sample of saliva or cheek swab and provide the necessary tools to take that sample. As long as you follow the instructions correctly, the DNA kit is unlikely to harm you during the sampling process.
What kinds of privacy concerns are associated with DNA kits?
Some companies will sell your genetic analysis anonymously to places like pharmaceutical companies—including 23&Me—so if you’re not comfortable with the potential sale of data, you probably shouldn’t use a DNA kit.
However, there are other ways to store and/or sell your DNA, so simply avoiding these DNA kits doesn’t mean your DNA data is safe forever. For more information on DNA privacy concerns, check out our guide to the best DNA kits.
Does 23&Me sell user data?
Yeah. 23&Me shares its data with a pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, and has also sold the rights to a drug it developed based on the collected DNA data to Almirall, a Spanish pharmaceutical company.
While 23&Me claims that it always tries to keep its users’ genetic data safe from anonymous third parties, experts warn that there is no guarantee that your data will remain private.
Who should use the DNA kit?
Anyone looking to discover their family tree, learn more about their ethnic makeup, or is curious about what their genetic makeup looks like is a good candidate for a DNA kit. Any amount of curiosity about your family or family history is a good reason to try.
Who should not use the DNA kit?
If you think you’d be surprised (or even hurt) by a shocking family find—like finding a sibling you’ve never met or a different parent than you thought—you might want to steer clear of DNA kits. While certainly rare, there have been cases where surprising family trees have led to awkward conversations and even lawsuits.
The same goes for anyone who is just interested in discovering their genetic risk for disease and wants to use it to assess just their genetic risk for disease. DNA kits are an inexact science and are never comprehensive enough to cover Everything It’s in your DNA, so they shouldn’t be taken as strict medical advice. If you are concerned about your risk of developing the disease, it is best to talk to your doctor.
Rick Stella
Health and Fitness Editor, Insider Reviews
Rick Stella is the health and fitness editor for Insider Reviews. He reviews and covers all matters related to fitness equipment such as fitness trackers, stationary bikes, and home exercise equipment, as well as alternative forms of fitness such as walking, climbing, and swimming. Rick has over five years of experience in health and fitness, outdoor and consumer technology. He was hired to help build and manage the new Health & Fitness vertical for Insider Reviews. Prior to joining Business Insider, Rick was the outdoor and adventure editor for the automotive website, Trucks.com, as well as the outdoor and sports and fitness editor at Digital Trends. He has also previously freelanced for Insider Reviews with AskMen, Gear Junkie and Forbes. When he’s not using digital pen on digital paper, Rick enjoys seeing live music, playing soccer, watching Netflix, and riding his bike. A native of Oregon most of his life, Rick now resides in New York City. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @RickStella. Learn more about how our Insider team of experts test and review products here. Learn more about how to test health, fitness and outdoor products. Read more Read less
William Antonelli
Technology reporter for insider reviews
William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings to a behemoth that attracts more than 20 million monthly visitors. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications such as Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He is also a source for technology analysis on channels such as Newsy, Cheddar and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or email him at [email protected]. Read more Read less
