The potential risks and rewards gifting DNA test kits for Father’s Day

Thinking of a DNA test kit as a Father's Day gift? A new book says this could come with risks and rewards. (Pexels)

If you’re considering a DNA test kit as a Father’s Day gift, a new book is warning of the potential outcomes that could be wrapped within an otherwise thoughtful gift.

Father’s Day is this Sunday and DNA kits may seem like a unique and fun gift idea.

Tens of millions of people have tested their DNA through various genealogical services. However, in her new book The Psychology of Genealogy, social and developmental psychology researcher Susan Moore expressed DNA kits shouldn’t be gifted lightly, as they can reveal surprise outcomes with real psychological impacts.

“Should you give DNA kits as gifts? It can be fun; it can be risky,” Moore said in a news release, adding “think carefully about how your intended recipient might cope with unexpected outcomes.”

The potential rewards

DNA kits can satisfy natural curiosities. People are drawn to the unknown and these tests appeal to what Moore described as fundamental human needs. Exploring family history fulfils deep psychological drivers. This includes identity, influences, and the connection between family history and a sense of belonging, Moore said.

“Hobbyist family historians are uncovering joyful and inspiring stories of the past as well as sad and unsettling secrets of their ancestry,” she said.

The potential risks

Those sad and unsettling secrets are where things get tricky. The psychological stakes are high and Moore went so far as to say the results can threaten one’s sense of self.

“At the personal level, these may be findings that cause you great distress, that destabilize your sense of who you are, that initially at least, you would have preferred not to know,” she said. ”Once known however, they cannot be unknown.”

DNA tests can uncover family secrets, reveal misattributed paternity, and even connect people to hundreds of previously unknown half-siblings. All these unexpected scenarios have become increasingly common as more people contribute to databases, the news release says.

Besides revelations about one’s family tree, there are also legitimate concerns about data security. In 2023, the DNA data of seven million users was accessed in the high-profile hack of the service 23andMe. The breach, and the company’s financial troubles that followed, raised concerns about what happens to highly personal data if companies go out of business.

Should DNA kits be given as gifts?

“No, unless you’re prepared for surprises, some of them perhaps unpleasant, or if you’re very worried about privacy breaches,” Moore said.

Moore doesn’t entirely rule out DNA kits as gifts but does offer some advice. She suggests an open conversation with the intended recipient before gifting. While this may spoil the initial surprise of the present, it may save the family from unwanted revelations in the long run.

As Moore said, “DNA gives you some new and interesting clues to your family tree structure, but the hard work of making sense of those clues must still be done.”