Genetic Testing for Adopted Adults: What It Can (and Can’t) Tell You

Quick answer: Genetic testing for adopted adults compares a saliva sample with the DNA of other people in a company’s database. It can estimate your ethnic background, match you with biological relatives who have also tested, and flag some genetic health markers. It can’t diagnose a medical condition, and it can’t promise a match with your birth parents. Results can also surface relatives you didn’t know existed, so it helps to decide ahead of time how you want to handle that.

If you were adopted before open adoption became common, you may have gaps in your family history that other people never think about. Consumer DNA tests have become one of the most popular ways to fill them. This guide explains how the tests work, which services adoptees commonly use, what the results can and can’t tell you, and what to do once your results arrive.

Table of Contents

• How common is genetic testing for adopted adults?
• How does genetic testing for adopted adults work?
• Which DNA test is best for adopted adults?
• Are consumer DNA tests diagnostic?
• How accurate are the relationship labels in your matches?
• What are the benefits of genetic testing for adopted adults?
• What are the risks of genetic testing for adopted adults?
• Is it ethical to search for birth family with a DNA test?
• Do you need genetic testing if you had an open adoption?
• I got my DNA results, now what?
• Frequently Asked Questions

How common is genetic testing for adopted adults?

It’s very common. In 2023, the National Council for Adoption (NCFA) surveyed more than 1,200 adoptees and found that roughly two-thirds of adult adoptees had completed genetic testing. Learning about ancestry was the most common reason, chosen by about 50-61% of testers depending on adoption type, followed by searching for relatives (about 40% to 48%). Wanting general health information (about a third) and understanding a specific medical condition (about 13% to 21%) were less common motivations.

How does genetic testing for adopted adults work?

You order a kit (or visit a collection site), provide a saliva sample, and mail it to the lab. The lab reads genetic markers in your DNA and compares them with the DNA of other people in its database. The more DNA you share with another user, the more closely you are likely to be related.

Two things shape what you’ll learn:

• Which company you use. Each company has its own database, so the relatives you can see depend on who else has tested with that company. Different companies also analyze different markers, so their ethnicity estimates can vary or even appear to conflict. (Source: Parks, A.L. & Incze, M.A., “What Can At-Home Genetic Tests Tell Me About My Health?” JAMA Internal Medicine, 2022.)
• What type of test you take. Most adoptees start with an autosomal test, which looks at DNA inherited from both sides of your family and is the standard tool for finding cousins and closer relatives. Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA tests follow a single paternal or maternal line and are more specialized.

Turnaround time depends on the company and on lab demand, and it can run from a few weeks to a couple of months. Check the company’s current estimate when you order.

Which DNA test is best for adopted adults?

There isn’t one best test. Many searchers test with one major company, then upload their raw data to others to find more matches. Here’s how the most commonly used options compare.

Before you buy, read each company’s privacy policy and check whether the company has changed owners or policies recently.

Are consumer DNA tests diagnostic?

No. Consumer genetic tests are not diagnostic tests. The health reports look for certain genetic variants that may raise or lower your risk for some conditions, or that show you may carry a gene for a condition. They do not tell you that you have a disease or that you will develop one. Having a variant doesn’t mean you’ll get the condition, and not having a variant doesn’t mean you won’t. The reports also can’t capture lifestyle, environment, or variants the test doesn’t look at. (Sources: 23andMe, “Genetic Health Risk Reports: What You Should Know“; Parks & Incze, JAMA Internal Medicine, 2022.)

For adoptees without family medical history, that gap matters. Treat a health result as a reason to talk with your doctor or a genetic counselor, who can decide whether clinical testing is worth doing. Please don’t make medical decisions based on a consumer report alone.

How accurate are the relationship labels in your matches?

Closer relationships are easier to identify than distant ones, and labels like “close family” can be ambiguous. A parent-child or full-sibling match is usually unmistakable. Beyond that, many different relationships share similar amounts of DNA. Half-siblings, aunts and uncles, and grandparents each share roughly 25% of your DNA, so a match at that level could be any of them, and the site may only call it “close family.” You’ll need to work out the exact relationship yourself, using the amount of shared DNA, the person’s age, location, and other matches you have in common. (Source: AncestryDNA Learning Hub, “AncestryDNA Test Accuracy and Precision.”)

What are the benefits of genetic testing for adopted adults?

• Ethnicity and origins. Ancestry reports can offer clues about your geographic heritage. They are estimates, and they can answer some questions while raising new ones.
• Family connections. If relatives have tested with the same company, you may see DNA matches that can help you build a family tree. In a 2019 Pew Research Center survey, 27% of people who had used mail-in DNA tests said they learned about close relatives they hadn’t known about. (Source: Graf, N., Pew Research Center, August 6, 2019.)
• Health insight. Reports may point you toward questions to ask your doctor, with the limits described above.

What are the risks of genetic testing for adopted adults?

Results can surface unexpected relatives. A test can turn up half-siblings, cousins, or other relatives you didn’t know about, and sometimes information that others in your birth family never intended to share, such as a previously unknown pregnancy or a different biological father than you expected. The larger the database, the more likely you are to meet someone. Some of these discoveries are welcome, and some are painful. It helps to decide in advance how you’d want to handle a surprise, and to know that you can limit who sees your results.

Your data has privacy limits. Policies differ by company and can change, and it’s worth reading them before you test. In the U.S., the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 bars health insurers and employers from discriminating based on genetic information, but it does not cover life, disability, or long-term care insurance. Law enforcement can also use consumer DNA databases in some circumstances, and the rules vary by company and have shifted over time. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice, interim policy on forensic genetic genealogy, September 24, 2019.)

Emotions can run high. Even a hoped-for match can bring up grief, anger, or confusion. Speaking with an adoption-competent therapist before and during your search can help.

Is it ethical to search for birth family with a DNA test?

Many adoptees feel strongly that they have a right to know their own biological history. Many birth parents, especially those who placed children in closed adoptions decades ago, made decisions with the expectation of privacy, and a DNA match doesn’t ask for their consent. Both perspectives are valid and common in the adoption community.

A DNA test also makes it more likely to find distant relatives, such as cousins and grandparents, who may not know about the adoption. That raises additional questions about who should reach out and how. Many experienced searchers suggest going slowly, making first contact gentle and low-pressure, and being ready for any response, including silence. The NCFA notes that birth family contact often leads to rewarding relationships but can also leave one or more people upset or disappointed.

Do you need genetic testing if you had an open adoption?

Often not for finding your birth family. Adoptees in open adoptions usually grow up knowing their story and their birth parents, so a search isn’t necessary. Some still choose to test for ancestry or health reasons, or to learn more about extended biological family.

I got my DNA results, now what?

Your results are in, and you’re staring at a list of names and numbers. Here’s a practical order of operations.

Step 1: Pause and set your boundaries

Before you click through your matches, decide what you’re ready to see and what you’d want to do with it. Decide who you’ll tell, and whether you want support (a counselor, a trusted friend, or an adoptee support group) nearby when you start looking. You can’t un-see a result.

Step 2: Check your privacy and sharing settings

Review who can see your profile and matches, and whether you want your name, photo, or tree visible. You can usually keep your results private and still see your own matches.

Step 3: Read your match list by the numbers

Sort matches by shared DNA (cM), highest first. Closer matches are the most useful. A match sharing around 1,300 cM or more is typically a close relative, such as a parent, sibling, half-sibling, grandparent, aunt, or uncle, and lower matches (first, second, and third cousins) are where most adoptees begin their detective work. Remember the relationship labels are estimates, and the same amount of shared DNA can fit several relationships.

Step 4: Widen the search with raw data uploads

Your matches are limited to the company you tested with. Download your raw DNA file and upload it to other services that accept it, such as GEDmatch, MyHeritage, and FamilyTreeDNA. Each upload gives you a new pool of potential matches, and some of your closest relatives may only appear in a database you haven’t used yet. Some adoptees also take a second company’s test to reach a different pool.

Step 5: Group your matches and look for common ancestors

Start with your highest matches and group them by the matches they share, since people who share DNA with you and with each other often belong to the same family branch. Then look for overlap in their family trees, locations, and surnames.

Many adoptees build simple trees for their top matches, working backward until two branches meet at a common ancestor. They often find their birth parents by working forward from that ancestor to a couple whose age, location, and circumstances fit your adoption. Free tutorials from genetic genealogy educators can teach this method step by step.

Step 6: Use what you already know

Combine DNA clues with your birth date, birthplace, non-identifying information from your adoption file, and any court or agency records. Laws on accessing original birth certificates and adoption records vary by state, so it’s worth checking what’s open to you.

Step 7: Get help from people who do this

You don’t have to decode matches alone. Volunteer groups such as DNA Detectives and Search Squad (both on Facebook) help adoptees interpret results for free. A certified genetic genealogist can take on harder cases for a fee.

Step 8: Confirm before you reach out

Treat a hypothesis as a hypothesis. Look for multiple lines of evidence, such as several matches that point to the same family, before you contact anyone. A wrong guess can hurt someone who has nothing to do with your story.

Step 9: Plan your first contact

Many searchers start with a short, warm, non-demanding message that introduces who they are, says they’d welcome a reply, and leaves the other person room to respond in their own time. If you’re uncertain, consider contacting a relative who isn’t a birth parent first, or use a trained intermediary. Give people time. A slow reply or no reply doesn’t necessarily mean a permanent no.

Step 10: Prepare for anything, and keep support nearby

Reunions can be joyful, complicated, or both, and some searches end without the contact you hoped for. An adoption-competent therapist can help with whatever happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can genetic testing find my birth parents?

It can, but it isn’t guaranteed. If a birth parent or close relative has tested with the same company, or uploaded their data to a database you can access, you may see a direct match. If not, most adoptees find birth family by identifying cousins and building family trees until the pieces fit.

How long do DNA results take?

It varies by company and lab demand, from a few weeks to about two months. Check the company’s current estimate when you order.

Are at-home genetic tests accurate?

They are generally good at estimating ethnicity and identifying close relatives. They are less precise about more distant relationships, and their health reports are not diagnostic. Results from different companies can differ.

Which DNA test is best for adoptees?

Many adoptees start with the company with the largest database, then upload their raw data to other sites for more matches. See the comparison table above.

Can a DNA test tell me my medical history?

Not fully. A consumer test can flag some genetic risk markers, but it can’t diagnose a condition or replace a family medical history. Talk to a doctor or genetic counselor about your results.

Can I do this anonymously?

You can limit what others see, but matching depends on people being able to see that you’re related. Review each company’s privacy settings before you test.

What if I find relatives I didn’t know about?

Take your time. You don’t have to contact anyone right away. Consider talking with a therapist or an adoptee support group first.

Lifetime Adoption supports open adoption so that more children grow up knowing where they come from. If you’re considering adoption, we encourage you to learn about open adoption.
 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 24, 2019, and has since been updated.