We’ve known that Genetic Testing is where it’s at for quite sometime now, but it seems like the rest of the world is finally starting to agree. According to an article recently published by the MIT Technology Review, the number of people who purchased and completed a genetic testing kit more than doubled this past year, closing out at nearly 12 million people. Most of those tests were purchased in the United States, meaning that nearly 1 in 25 Americans has used a genetic test kit in the past year. And if 2017 was any indication, 2018 will see an even greater universal use of genetic testing.
When genetic testing first became cheap enough to be offered to the public, it was difficult to convince people of its importance and validity. However, the scientific community saw a spike in personalized genetic testing in 2016 and sales have been skyrocketing ever since.
Sales of genetic test kits over the years in millions.
Of course, that giant increase in sales can mostly be attributed to the amount of money spent by large genealogy companies like Ancestry.com and 23andMe on advertising. Telling the stories of customers who have discovered the countries of their ancestors, filled in the gaps in their family trees, and even been reunited with long lost relatives, these companies have managed to create a personal side to genetic testing that has made is seem more approachable. And this consumer familiarity with genetic testing is paving the way for genetics-based companies that provide more specialized information, like us!
It only seems logical that once you’ve used your DNA to discover more about your ancestry, you might as well use it to learn more about your health and fitness. Because many of the genealogy genetics-based companies allow you to download and access your genetic results, it’s that much easier to send those results to another company and have them analyzed for completely different results. We here at Genetic Direction love the fact that genetic testing is rapidly becoming a household practice and hope that more and more people are encouraged to use their DNA to learn more about their bodies. After all, your DNA is given, but genetic testing can give your even more!
