23andMe: Collection (Review)

I was so excited to finally purchase the 23andMe kit earlier this year. It was something I'd wanted to do a few years ago but it was a little bit more expensive than I wanted to pay. January was the first time I'd seen it have a good sale and I just thought with everything going on in my life, being able to see a health and genetic update, might be a source of motivation. 

23andMe provides a service which allows individuals to explore and understand their genes. Using only saliva and no blood, the process is as simple as possible. Once ordered, a home-based saliva collection kit is sent to your home with clear instructions on how to collect and the postage included to return the sample to the lab. 

There are two different types to purchase. One is for Health and one for Ancestry. If you include the health insights, it provides information on your health predispositions, carrier status, traits, wellness and ancestry. The ancestry service helps you understand who you are, where your DNA comes from and your family story. It provides reports on Composition, maternal and paternal haplogroups, neanderthal inheritance and provides a DNA relatives tool to connect with those who share similar DNA. 

In the kit, there is an introduction and instruction booklet. There is then a small plastic container containing the specimen collection tube. Attached to the top is a fluid containing capsule and saliva funnel, which ultimately gets detached and replaced with a lid. 

Although the tube initially looks like it needs a lot of saliva to fill to the line, it's not actually too much as it's already majority filled. Afterwards, put it in the sample envelope, then back in the box, seal and mail it back to the lab in the pre-paid package. You do need to make sure to register the collection tube using the barcode. This links the sample to your account, so ensures the correct results are for the right person. 

The sample taking process is simple and easy to do. The most difficult part is remembering not to eat and drink before, which meant I kept putting it off a little. Next week I'll share the reports process. If you want to purchase your own kit, you can get 10% off using my link.