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23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry Personal Genetic Service - 75+ Online Reports - Includes at-Home Saliva Collection kit

4.6 out of 5 stars 34,481 ratings
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  • Before purchasing, review important information at 23andme.com/test-info
  • HEALTH FEATURES: Know your genes. Own your health. Learn how genetics can influence your chances of developing certain health conditions. Find out if you’re a carrier for certain inherited conditions. Discover what your DNA has to say about your well-being and how it can influence certain lifestyle choices.*
  • ANCESTRY AND TRAITS FEATURES: Know your personal story in a whole new way. Discover your ancestry composition and where in the world your DNA is from across 2000+ regions. Automatically start your Family Tree using your DNA. See what your DNA might have to say about your taste and smell preferences. Discover how DNA can affect your ability to match a musical pitch or whether you hate the sound of chewing.
  • PRIVATE AND PROTECTED: Everyone deserves a secure, private place to explore and understand their genetics. Your data is encrypted, protected, and under your control. You decide what you want to learn and what you want to share. β—‹ Subject to 23andMe’s Terms of Service at 23andme.com/tos and Privacy Statement at 23andme.com/about/privacy
  • RESEARCH: Know you’re making a difference. When you opt in to participate in our research, you join forces with millions of people contributing to science. Your participation could help lead to discoveries that may one day make an impact on your own health, the health of your family, and people around the world.
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Product description

Before Mailing, register your kit at 23andme.com/start otherwise, your sample will NOT be processed. ANCESTRY FEATURES Ancestry reports - 35+ reports including: Ancestry Composition, Ancestry Detail Reports, Maternal & Paternal Haplogroups, Neanderthal Ancestry, Your DNA Family - DNA Relative Finder: Find and connect with relatives in the 23andMe database who share DNA with you. (opt-in) HEALTH FEATURES Health Predisposition* reports - 10+ reports including: Type 2 Diabetes (Powered by 23andMe Research), Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease, Celiac Disease Carrier Status* reports - 40+ reports including: Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Hereditary Hearing Loss Wellness reports - 5+ reports including: Deep Sleep, Lactose Intolerance, Genetic Weight Traits reports - 30+ traits including: Hair (Color, Curliness, Male Bald Spot), Taste & Smell (Sweet vs. Salty, Bitter), Facial Features (Cheek Dimples, Unibrow, Freckles) OTHER FEATURES Raw Data - Access your raw, uninterpreted genetic data file.** Must not be used for medical or diagnostic purposes. Share, compare and discover more with friends and family - Trace DNA through your close family and explore the genetic similarities and differences between you and family members.

Product Information

Technical Details

Product dimensions β€Ž16.51 x 12.7 x 3.3 cm; 136.08 Grams
Item Weight β€Ž136 g
Manufacturer β€Ž23andMe
ASIN β€ŽB01G7PYQTM
Item Model Number β€ŽHealth + Ancestry
Is discontinued by manufacturer β€ŽNo
Date First Available β€Ž11 August 2016

Additional Information

Best Sellers Rank 87,701 in Health, Household & Personal Care (See Top 100 in Health, Household & Personal Care)
20 in Healthcare Genetic Tests

Product details

  • Is discontinued by manufacturer ‏ : β€Ž No
  • Product dimensions ‏ : β€Ž 16.51 x 12.7 x 3.3 cm; 136.08 Grams
  • Date First Available ‏ : β€Ž 11 August 2016
  • Manufacturer ‏ : β€Ž 23andMe
  • ASIN ‏ : β€Ž B01G7PYQTM
  • Item Model Number ‏ : β€Ž Health + Ancestry
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 34,481 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
34,481 global ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

  • sue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Prompt service
    Reviewed in Australia on 24 March 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Great service no complications would highly recommend
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  • Bernard
    5.0 out of 5 stars nice
    Reviewed in Australia on 21 May 2021
    Verified Purchase
    nice, would buy again
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  • FX
    1.0 out of 5 stars Reseller not authorised to sell product
    Reviewed in Australia on 30 January 2024
    Verified Purchase
    White Pure is not authorised to sell this product in Australia and as a result, 23andme destroyed my sample on receipt in US. What a massive oversight by Amazon AU to allow White Pure to sell the product in Australia, and what a massive waste of time and effort by me in ordering the product, providing sample and sending to the US. Still awaiting refund.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • anthony bosnich
    1.0 out of 5 stars 23 and me refused to do the test as it was outside usa
    Reviewed in Australia on 30 April 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Don’t buy if outside USA as weaned me refuse to do the testing,had to go through the credit card to get the refund and took a very long time
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Shane
    1.0 out of 5 stars Not for AU residents!
    Reviewed in Australia on 10 December 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This product was sold to me by an Australian store, but after over a month of waiting, 23andMe tell me that the kit is invalid because it was for US use only.

    Completely screwed over on returns too
    23 people found this helpful
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  • Peter Merlin
    1.0 out of 5 stars Not For Australian use
    Reviewed in Australia on 14 February 2019
    23and I does not process kits sent from Australia.
    26 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • R. Holzle
    5.0 out of 5 stars 23andme vs AncestryDNA plus Promethease - [updated Oct 2019]
    Reviewed in the United States on 22 January 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Oct 2019 Update revises Promethease recommendation; Oct 2018 Update adds Alzheimer comments.

    I had DNA analysis from 23andme. My wife had DNA analysis from both Ancestry(Anc) and 23andme. This review is my comparison of the two. I now do not recommend secondary analysis of your results by Promethease, see further discussion at end of this review. Basically I like 23andme. For developing an ancestry tree, Ancestry.com is MUCH better IF you signup separately for Ancestry's subscription search service. Do not use Anc & Promethease for Alzheimer's - see discussion at end of this review.

    TAKING TEST and SIGNUP – Very similar test taking. 23’s signup was more secure. Anc’s was easier, but they automatically put my wife’s test on my previously existing Ancestry account.

    Waiting on RESULTS – Both send emails confirming sample receipt and when results were available. After logon, 23 provided step by step progress reports on the analysis process. The analysis process itself took about 10 days, including a holiday weekend. Total wait time was 3-4 weeks. Anc took 5 or so days longer than 23.

    WEB SITE SECURITY – 23 is better. 23 requires a typical logon and password to get to the site. Anc automatically remembers your logon and password and just opens up when you go to the site. However, actually downloading your DNA file from Anc requires a full sign-on and confirmation link via your e-mail..

    Ethnic Origin Analysis – I think 23 is more correct. Both 23 and Anc keep updating their Ethnic origin results. Note the results are only approximate considering the accuracy ranges provided.

    DNA RELATIVE IDENTIFICATION – Recognizing that allocation of relatives to 1st, 2nd and 3rd cousins is somewhat imprecise. For my wife, 23 identified 4 second cousins and about 32 third cousins. Anc identified 1 first cousin, 2 second cousins and 9 third cousins. 23 also has β€˜cousins’ outside the USA (in my case in the UK) which are really valuable contacts for ancestry searching. The web site does not directly identify a cousin’s location but you can easily guess this from supplementary info optionally provided by the cousin on 23’s site.

    DNA RELATIVE CONTACT and ANALYSIS – Anc provides the e-mail for a contact and shared ancestors for each DNA relative. You get a lot more when you pay for their regular Ancestry services, see below. 23 provides an internal messaging application for communicating with contacts. The application works but is rudimentary and unsuitable for more than brief messages (especially with MS Edge); exchanging e-mail address’s after contact is more satisfying. Both have a couple levels of β€˜sharing’ (aka privacy). Both have tools for grouping contacts.

    Anc provides a powerful tree searching tool IF you subscribe to the regular Ancestry service. This is expensive, in the range of $200/year, but less with special offers. Given the moderate β€˜tools’ in their basic DNA service, I view their DNA analysis as an (effective) teaser for their subscription service. UPDATE: I did signup for the Ancestry services and they are great. Specifically, with a subscription their DNA site shows a contacts pedigree chart if that contact already has built an Anc family tree. This is MASSIVELY better than 23's unsorted list of surnames. When you search for a particular name it searches all of the connected family trees - this is exceptionally useful.

    MEDICAL INFO – Anc provides no medical info. In late 2016 23 had two test options - $100 for just the ancestry service and $200 for ancestry plus medical. As of Sept 2018, 23 provides FDA approved reports on your risk of 9 medical conditions, including Alzheimer's, plus several genetic carrier reports. Their discussion/explanation of your risks for these conditions is specifically approved by the FDA and is understandable, informative, and useful. [Update ANC now advertises health results - I have not tried this]

    If you are so inclined, you can participate (answer a lot of online questions) in 23’s medical research. This is probably 20 ten minute questions sessions. I did this and feel like it was useful for medical research.

    Analysis of you DNA results by Promethease, a third party service, provides some medical info.

    [October 2019 Update] In late 2019 Promethease was bought by MyHeritage, an Israeli Company. They have advised that they will use the DNA profiles downloaded to them for DNA ancestry searches, including searches by police departments. I personally am uncomfortable with this. Further in early 2019 Promethease stopped providing reports for a number of SNP's potentially related to drug usage, apparently due to pressure from the FDA. These are among the MOST useful (actionable) results. For these reasons I think Promethease is now of substantially less value. Perhaps MyHeritage will reinstate the deleted SNP's, but I doubt it. Use Promethease with caution. Note that I have NOT updated the remainder of the Prom discussion to reflect the above comments.

    CONNECTION to PROMETHEASE – Promethease (Prom) is a third party service that assess’s your detailed DNA results from either 23 or Anc and provides a detailed medical risk report. Go to the Prom site to get started. The download process is not too difficult. In Oct 2018 cost is $12 per report.

    PROMETHEASE RESULTS –Prom generates 20,000 or so reports (hits) from the 700,000 or so genes that are tested by 23 and Anc. 23 and Anc test a different set of genes, although they mostly overlap. For my wife’s test from both 23 and Anc the corresponding Prom reports were about 85% the same for the 40 most significant hits (Prom magnitude 2.5 and above). There were 5 or 6 unique hits in the top 40 for each report. I judge that the unique hits were about equally important, between 23 and Anc - none were critical.

    [Nov 2017 Update] In October 2017 I resubmitted by 2016 23 test to Prom. About 15% of the hits were changed. A couple unusual hits were deleted. A very significant change was that one gene comment changed from 'increased risk of Type 1 diabetes' to '18x risk of Type 1 diabetes'!!! I read up on this. It turns out that the genetic - diabetes risk/connection is currently a very hot and complex research topic. The relevant research report was published in 2017. My suggestion is to update your Prom report every year or two if there are concerns.

    USING PROMETHEASE – IMPORTANT – Use of general DNA analysis to identify general medical conditions is an emerging (not well developed) technology/business. My guess is that the info provided by Prom is perhaps 30% or so of what will be available in 10 years or so. I regard the info provide as indicative, definitely not complete and possibly incorrect (due to either testing error or interpretation error).

    Having said that, it is interesting, likely useful and potentially lifesaving. The information will be disturbing (negative), but in most cases not surprising. I think most people will be able to absorb the info without getting too stressed out. If you are a hypochondriac, this could be a problem. If you want a chance of good news, you can write down the stuff your are concerned about ahead of time, and then see if they actually shows up.

    My comments for using the report are:
    β€’ Make sure you download a copy to your PC for future reference, don’t just look at it online.
    β€’ After you figure out how to use the report, move the '0' Magnitude slider up to a range of 2.5 or so. This will limit you to the top 40 or so hits. Then go down to the bottom of the report and hit the '2X' bar a few times to see all the hits.
    β€’ You can then hit the β€˜Table’ button at the top and print a summary of the hits to help see the big picture. You can also open this table in Excel and modify/save it for a more useful table. If you do this, add a Frequency column if it's not already there.
    β€’ To me, after Magnitude, the most important factor is β€˜Frequency’. This is what percentage of the target population has this condition. If its around 40% or higher, I think it’s already β€˜dialed in’ to the normal medical process – it is something your doctor and the medical community will look for in any case. Most of the hits fall into this category. If it’s less than 10%, it’s likely not on your doctors radar screen and you will want to consider if it’s worth mentioning to your doctor.
    β€’ The second most useful item is the relative increased risk in the item discussion. Recognize that the absolute risk is not provided – for example, the absolute risk might be 1 person in 100,000, so a 1.1 relative risk increase is almost meaningless. On the other hand I looked up AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration-eye problems) on the internet; it affects 1 in 3 to 5 people by age 80, so 2x risk is really significant. Good to know this ahead of time.
    β€’ After you assess the top 40, which takes a while, you can expand the Magnitude to it’s full range. Then click on β€˜Topics’ and click on sub topics of interest and see if any common concerns emerge. Do the same for β€˜Medical Conditions’. This seems like a lot of work but only takes an hour or 2 once you get started. For me the common themes seem to be heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Rheumatoid arthritis – none of which are a surprise.
    - When you find something that might be relevant you NEED to do supplemental research on the Internet. The Prom report is a brief and simple identification. Fuller understanding can significantly change (reduce?) your concern for the issue. Be aware that there are 'hypochondriac' web sites for some of these issues. I like to start with Wiki, Mayo Clinic and WebMD. Search for the Prom gene name 'rs........'. Then find out what the common term(s) for the gene is e.g. MTFHR and search for that. Write stuff down, gene names can be confusing.
    β€’ Again, remember this is an emerging technology, so the results will change from year to year. I guess that in 10 years it will be a routine consideration in a physical.

    IMPORTANT. DO NOT use Prom results from Anc for Alzheimer's. Anc almost always reports zero copies of the Alz APOE4 gene. Prom notes this in their report, but it’s carries a low Magnitude and is easy to miss. In Sept 2018 I did an Anc test and it returned (via Prom), Zero copies of the Alz gene. The Anc and Prom medical results were otherwise similar but slightly less extensive than 23 and Prom.
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  • T Stanley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Industry Leader for Health related Home DNA kits
    Reviewed in the United States on 5 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this with Prime and it took exactly 2 weeks from the moment I clicked "buy" until my reports were published. I may be one of the lucky ones but I think it is because I bought the kit April 20 2018 - so it wasn't during any holiday rush periods. From reviews, I would hesitate buying this around Christmas time if you aren't patient - they seem to get slammed and delays seem normal.
    This and Ancestry.com seems to be the top 2 kits in most comparison reviews. Ancestry for heritage related results due to larger database & this for health related results. I chose this one because of the health related results and because Ancestry requires extra costs to integrate DNA results into their extensive database. Ancestry does not offer health related results to my knowledge but I think you can export the data into 3rd party tools to get those results.
    One note of warning - there are kits on ebay that are a bit cheaper but most of those do not include the lab work - and I've not seen any that were cheaper than buying the kit with lab on Amazon. Read the fine print if you look on ebay.
    2nd note of warning - I wouldn't do this at all if you are concerned about your DNA being hacked and shared. There are reports on Internet that FBI is searching these databases for criminals - and if you believe the government is able to secure secrets the way x-files portrays, then maybe it's safe forever. Personally, I can't think of any realistic consequence to my DNA being shared that outweighs the benefit of knowing my DNA. If I get tied up in a lab so they can harvest my stem cells because I'm the beginning of an x-men mutation, I guess I'll have plenty of time to think about my decision.
    The kit itself is very simple. Once you receive the kit (2 days with prime) and before you collect specimen (saliva), you open an account with 23andMe and enter the code off the vial in the kit. You will make some decisions about the process at that point - such as if you want your data used for research and if they can keep your dna samples for future use, etc. Once that is done, you will need to clean your mouth very well and not eat/drink for an hour or so before spitting into the vial. I cleaned my mouth very well before going to bed, drank a big glass of water when I woke (so I could spit easily), and waited an hour and filled the vial. Spit until clear saliva is just above the indicated line - the bubbles will all be floating above that line. It doesn't take much and you don't want to overfill it by much or you may not have enough stabilizer for the amount of saliva. The vial initially has a funnel on the top that you close the lid and it will release the stabilizer into the vial. Once you have stabilizer in saliva, remove the funnel and replace it with the round cap. Shake it well and put the sealed vial into the included baggie. Box it back into the original box which is addressed and has prepaid postage - ship it off. I had mine back in the mail on the 3rd day after ordering.
    I used the iphone app at this point. The app tracks progress of each step. It didn't show the post office received the package, but in 2 days or so the status jumped to the vial being received and being pre-checked. Each step seemed to complete about 2 - 3 days apart until the reports became available.
    Be sure to switch to a computer at some point. It either has more options, or they are easier to find there - especially where contacting others is concerned.
    I am no DNA expert, but the results are interesting to read over. It found my niece who took the test successfully and correctly identified her in my lineage. She had shared her ancestry results so people could find her. Contacting matches is easy with the messenger in the online tool.
    I think the results I've seen are pretty accurate - some of the expected traits are off - it seems to do better with hair, eye color and skin tone than things like attached/detached earlobes and which finger is longer. Since some of those are wrong, I'm not sure there is much more value in that than going to an old gypsy woman looking into a glass ball but it's entertaining to see the predictions.
    Recognize you can export the raw data into other tools - Prometheus seems to be most popular - to have reports run to interpret the data. 23andMe seems to keep things at a level that is more manageable. I only exported to Prometheus which is about $5 to $10 usually, but free for this week. If you really get into this stuff, I think it's worthwhile to see those results, but Prometheus gets a little confusing because you can have one result reducing your risk for something by some multiplier and another increasing your risk for it. Do they cancel out? 23andme tends to just tell you increased or decreased risk.
    Where I think this is weak - is for determining Native American ancestry. If that is your goal, you may want to research DNA accuracy for that before spending your money. My research shows that getting matches on that must be fairly close to the ancestors - mine showed none in my lineage. My grandmother always said she was part Indian and she looked the part so I tend to believe her. It wasn't until I found no matches that I started researching why - and it sounds like it is common for that to be missed by most DNA ancestry kits.
    My overall thoughts - I question the accuracy of some risks indicated - I just don't think we are really there yet. I personally think one can only say labs see this sort of trend when this strand is found. Prometheus shows relationships for genes and medicines that may not metabolize properly for me. I am capturing that to discuss with my doctor - just in case. The ancestry part does work reliably to find relatives and seems to be fairly accurate to place them where they branch off from your family tree.
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  • David Houck
    5.0 out of 5 stars πŸ”¬βœ¨ Uncover Your Genetic Story βœ¨πŸ”¬
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 April 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I recently tried the 23andMe Health + Ancestry Service πŸ§¬πŸ’‘, and it was such a fascinating experience! 😍 The DNA test is easy to take with a simple saliva sample 🧴, and it gives you so much information about your health, wellness, and ancestry 🌍. I was impressed by the variety of reports you get, from health predispositions πŸ₯ to traits like eye color πŸ‘οΈ and even carrier status for certain conditions.

    The results come through quickly, and the online dashboard is super user-friendly πŸ“Š. I loved how it also shows your genetic makeup 🧬 and helps you connect with potential relatives based on shared DNA 🀝.

    If you're curious about your genetic background or health, this is a great tool to learn more πŸ”. Just remember, it’s not a replacement for professional medical advice 🩺, but it’s an exciting way to dive into your genetic history 🌟.
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  • Mrs. H
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the Nerd in Your Life
    Reviewed in the United States on 13 December 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The estimated time of completion (once received and the sample passed screening) was 6-8 weeks. I ordered this product November 24th, received it on the 26th, sent it out on the 27th, it made it to the facility late on the 30th and the reports were complete on the 8th of December! That's fourteen days from clicking the purchase button to receiving the results or one day over a week from passing inspection!
    I purchased this as a Christmas gift for myself during a Black Friday deal ($100 versus the usual $200 or $150 during Black Friday on the website). I've always wanted to find out some of my genetic information and possibly use it to create a family tree. I felt like this was a really great deal and therefore the perfect time to try this out.
    When it arrived it looked very much like the kit pictured (will upload pictures at a later point). The instructions were easy to follow. I was worried about the quality of the sample, so I brushed my teeth before going to bed and immediately (before breakfast or brushing my teeth again) collected a spit sample. They are quite serious about the fill line. Don't try to be an overachiever. The coagulant still has to go in the rest of the tube! Shake for about 5 seconds and marvel as your clear saliva produces a filmy substance (THAT'S YOUR DNA!!!!). It's pretty cool. Absolutely DO NOT forget to register your tube. I took a picture, registered it, and wrote it down in several places. After packing it up and putting it in the mailbox, I realized that I'd forgotten to take down the tracking number (the kit box has the prepaid shipping label on it). I was a bit distraught, but when I logged onto my 23andMe account, there was a chromosome timeline with each step (there's approximately 9 steps) clearly defined and the first step was having the package scanned at a mailing facility (so tube # is associated with the tracking number). I'll admit, I checked daily and filled out as many survey questions as I could. I really wasn't anticipating any surprises, the very skinny family tree that I'm aware of pretty much all goes back to Germany or Prussia in the 1700s. Well, my family and I were in for a shock when the results came back and said that I had an Irish/English ancestor and a bit further back, an Ashkenazi Jewish ancestor. The overall composition was 100% European, mostly in the Northwestern Region. No other surprising ancestors in the wood works. While I fully understand that this cannot be used as a medical diagnostic tool, it was neat to see the genetic health results (it should be noted that these are not conclusive by any means). The Carrier Status reports were interesting. I didn't have anything flagged, so I didn't spend much time looking at those results. The Genetic Health Risk reports did have a bit of a surprise. Apparently I am at an increased risk of developing Celiac Disease because of my genome (doesn't mean I'll get it, but it's something to look out for). The Trait reports were fun to go through, they all lined up. I haven't really dug into those reports yet, but so far they look fun from a scientist perspective (Biology major). I think the Wellness reports are perhaps the most immediately useful results for your individual health. I did find one report to be a bit faulty (but I'm weird). I'm likely to be lactose intolerant, which most of the world is despite the mutation to produce Lactase into adulthood occurring 3 times in human evolution (Anthropology as a second major). Milk and other dairy products make up a considerable amount of my diet and I am considered an adult. I'm really not sure how to explain that one hiccup.
    23andMe found 1175 people that are related to me. This is out of the pool of people who have actually used 23andMe. My relatives on 23andMe are all 10th degree relations (google coefficient of relationship), so the most closely related person is about a fourth cousin with less than 0.4% shared DNA. So we shared a great-great-great-grandparent.
    I would definitely recommend this product if you are curious about your ancestry or just want to secrets your DNA may hold, or if you know someone who just loves this type of stuff.
    Before purchasing, I was definitely a bit leery of what I was getting myself into. Is it really worth up to $200 to spit in a tube? Yep. If you want to break it down shipping a small flat rate box is approximately $6.45, multiplied by two because you got it shipped to your house and then you mailed it out. If they mass produce the kits, the kit itself isn't going to be too expensive, maybe $5-10, it's very simple and elegantly put together. So rounding up, we're at a max of $25 just for the test and mailing. Then there's the process that your DNA has to go through (6-ish steps once it has passed the inspection) before your reports are generated. There's scientists working on your DNA and processing it through various techniques (there are tutorial videos that explain the process on the website), so there's expensive machinery that most people have limited access to being utilized (don't really know how to put a price tag on this). Then, there are the 79 reports. If you bought the kit for $100, each report is less than $1, if you bought the kit for full price at $200, each report is close to $2 each. There's a wealth of information that you really can't put a price tag on.
    I also purchased the AncestryDNA kit through Ancestry.com. I have not yet submitted it, but when it's complete, I will add a comparison. The kit itself was $65 (on sale), but lots of people recommended having an Ancestry.com account in order to unlock the full potential - so not really that much cheaper than 23andMe.
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  • Sailracer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fluff, but does include a few important genetic markers.
    Reviewed in the United States on 21 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I bought these tests for my wife and I for health reasons so we could be forewarned about any potential genetic predispositions we may have that could start affecting our health as we get older. Using the test itself was pretty easy. The results presentation left me a little disappointed. I don't know how much of the lack of information much is due to 23andMe policies and how much is due to federal regulations, but I was expecting more based on what I had heard they told you in the past. I'll elaborate.

    You get a selection of health reports that look at a small number of genetic markers related to some specific health problems. There is lots of careful language around the presentation of some of these and required tutorials designed to stop people from panicking over their results. There are more reports that you can't access unless you give them more money to subscribe to 23andMe+, which is annoying. The reports give you info on the probabilities that someone with your genetics will develop a particular problem. You also get reports on characteristics. For example, I am genetically much less likely to have a bald spot and back hair (71% chance of no balding an 84% chance of no back hair). I no longer have hair on my head but do on my back, so clearly they don't have all the genetic factors that define these traits mapped yet.

    I dug in deep to look for genetic markers related to specific genes I had read about that are currently being studied. 23andMe doesn't report these, but they do give you access to the raw data they map, so you can look up the results for specific genes that they don't provide a report for. (Click on your profile icon and go to "resources" to access the raw data). It is also important to note that 23andMe does not do a full mapping of your genome. They only decode the portions that are believed to contain useful information. What is considered useful is open for debate. I found a few genes I was looking for that were not decoded by 23andMe. There are other services that will provide a complete mapping of your genome.

    My conclusion after the deep dive is that there is still a lot scientists don't know about genetics. This is very much a work in progress. 23andMe occasionally releases new reports as they study more and the science improves.

    The Ancestry portion of the website is more for entertainment purposes than health purposes. I did find in interesting seeing where in the world my ancestry can trace its roots to. It also shows you lots of 3rd and 4th cousins who are also in 23andMe's database. I didn't have any exciting findings like long lost brothers and sisters or find out that I was secretly adopted, though for some people I see how that could be a draw.

    All in all, I think this is pretty cool technology, but because it didn't live up to my expectations on actionable health data and seems like it is withholding info to avoid panicking people, I am giving it 4 stars.
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