--- title: "DNA Tests Are a Fun Holiday Gift… Unless They Reveal a Horrifying Secret" description: "The holiday season means presents galore  — but in the case of at-home DNA tests, some gifts may be better left not given. As experts who spoke to USA Today explained, the prevalence of self-serve DNA testing has made it much more likely that people discover painful family secrets — eg, that one or both of […]" date: "2023-12-16" modified: "2023-12-16" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/dna-tests-horrible-secret" categories: - "Gene Editing" - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "23andme" - "Ancestry.com" - "dna kits" - "DNA Sequencing" --- # DNA Tests Are a Fun Holiday Gift… Unless They Reveal a Horrifying Secret ![The holiday season means presents galore  — but in the case of at-home DNA tests, some gifts may be better left unopened.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* The holiday season means presents galore — but in the case of at-home DNA tests, some gifts may be better left unopened. As [experts told *USA Today*](), the prevalence of self-serve DNA testing has made it much more likely that people discover painful family secrets — for instance, that one or both of your parents are not your genetic relatives — upon getting their results. For [years now](), we've come across reports about people learning of their [parents' affairs]() via DNA testing kits from companies like [Ancestry or 23andme](). Just a few months ago, [the *BBC* published]() a story about the phenomenon. And most recently, 27-year-old Sabrina Laratta [went viral on TikTok]() after finding out through a DNA test that the man who raised her was not her biological father — something even *he* didn't know about. "While it doesn't change our relationship, it gives you this huge identity crisis," Laratta told *USA Today*. "And the fact that I actually haven't seen or met the other person that has some part to do with why I exist, feels like something's kind of missing, still with that, too." "I was devastated to learn that I didn't have this biological connection to my dad, like I had assumed I had my whole life," she added. Maryanne Fisher, a psychology professor at Canada's St. Mary's University, warned that these sorts of shocking revelations can have lasting impacts — and not everyone is prepared to handle them. "Checking one's intention before sending in a sample would be wise; what happens if you discover things you didn't know previously about your existing family?" Fisher, who teaches at St. Mary's University in Halifax, told *USA Today*. "Can you still maintain your level of happiness within your family life if you were to discover the story you believed is not accurate? How will you cope with these changes if they occur?" In the case of Laratta, there was another surprising element to her story: her biological father was part Japanese, which means she is, too. "I would obviously always get questions," the young woman said. "People would ask me if I'm Asian, mixed Asian. And I would ask my parents, like, 'why do people assume that or think that?'" Fortunately, Laratta's story did end up having a happy ending. She got in contact with her genetic father, texting back and forth and even speaking on the phone for a few hours. **More on DNA kits:** [*Oops! 23andMe Admits Hackers Stole 7 Million Customers' Genetic Data*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()