DNA Kit - What is it

DNA kits are a way for you to take a DNA test at home. They don’t require any special equipment or sterile conditions, and they come with everything you need. If you’ve ever considered DNA testing, now is the time to do it. Home DNA tests have never been more accessible — they are easier to use than ever, the results are more reliable, and the prices more affordable than ever before.

All DNA kits include vials for collecting your DNA sample, and an envelope to mail the sample into the lab for analysis. The MyHeritage DNA kit doesn’t require blood or even saliva — imagine spitting repeatedly into a small vial! Instead, you take one of the cotton swab included in the kit and gently scrape the inside of your cheek for about a minute. Then you take the second swab and scrape the second cheek. You place the swabs in the vials, close them tightly, and mail them back. It’s really that easy.

A DNA ancestry test will analyze your sample for clues to your ancestral past. You will get an ethnicity estimate where the various ethnicities in your genetic makeup will be listed, as well has what percentage of your DNA best matches each ethnicity. For example, you might find out you are really:

• 50% Irish
• 25% Italian
• 20% Russian
• 5% Middle Eastern

Almost no one gets a 100% single ethnicity in their estimate. Ethnicities that don’t pass the minimum threshold of about 0.8% aren’t usually shown at all, as the science isn’t quite confident at that resolution. Usually the same DNA kits that tell you about your ethnicity breakdown can also match sections of your DNA to other people who have done DNA tests to confirm relationships you already knew about or to find new relatives. To get your DNA kit, simply go to MyHeritage. Open a free account -- that takes about 2 minutes. Order your kit and it will be on its way to you the same day. When you get your kit, make sure to activate it via your MyHeritage account to make sure you’ll be able to track your kit’s progress and access your results. Then swab your cheeks and send in your sample. Just 3–4 weeks later you’ll get an email with a link to your Ethnicity Estimate and DNA Matches.