Unravelling Ancestry - Embracing Diversity - Driving Biomedical Research
We offer the most comprehensive ancestry test in Africa, using hundreds of thousands of DNA markers to determine how similar you are to another population group. The Mediclinic Precise Ancestry Test compares your DNA to that of various worldwide populations to determine your ancestry. The analysis of how you relate to these populations is represented as percentages in a report generated uniquely for you.
Why should I choose Mediclinic Precise?
- You will receive a comprehensive Mediclinic Precise Ancestry Report including overall ancestral contributions as well as maternal and paternal (males only) lineages
- You will have the option to receive a GEDmatch Genealogy Report at no additional cost. This will allow you to find your genetic relatives across the globe if they have also put their genetic data into this database.
- You can contribute to science by opting in to participate in ground-breaking research projects
How do I get tested?
Step 1: Enrolment
Register your interest in the Mediclinic Precise Ancestry Test kit by completing the registration form. You will be asked to provide some personal information. Please note that this information is protected and will remain confidential as stated in the Privacy Policy. You will then be directed to purchase the kit for delivery. We have partnered with Takealot to order, pay for and deliver the kit to you making it very convenient.
Step 2: Kit delivery
After you have completed the transaction, Takealot will courier a sample collection kit which includes the swab(s) to obtain DNA cells from inside your cheek and detailed instructions, to the shipping address you provided. You will receive the sample collection kit within 2-3 working days.
Step 3: Consent
In the sample collection kit will be a consent form for you to complete. It contains details of how your sample and the DNA data generated will be managed. You have the option to opt into being contacted for research studies related to gaining more knowledge about genetic profiles. Mediclinic Precise requires your formal consent, relevant personal information, and signature before processing your sample.
Step 4: Taking your genetic sample
Use the instruction sheet in the sample collection kit to take your sample.
Step 5: Kit collection
Use the courier bag provided to return the sample collection kit and completed consent form. Please arrange the collection of your kit by sending an e-mail to ancestry.info@mediclinic.co.za as soon as you have taken your sample.
Step 6: Lab Processing
Our partner laboratory will extract DNA from the sample you provide, followed by a quality control process, before detecting ancestry informative markers in your DNA. The genetic data will be generated and compared to a population reference database in order to determine your ancestry.
Step 7: Report.
Your Mediclinic Precise report will provide detailed information regarding your ancestry including overall ancestral contributions as well as maternal and paternal (males only) lineages. This is based on determining your ancestral relation to specific population groups, across the world who share similar genetic variation patterns in their DNA. You can expect to receive your ancestry report via email within 6 - 8 weeks.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT drink, eat, chew gum or smoke for at least an hour before taking your sample. Please read all the instructions inside of the kit before you begin.
Please note that this is NOT a maternity or paternity test.
Your Ancestry report will provide information about the ancestral and/or geographical origins of the ancestral populations as well as a short information blurb about that particular geographical region. When it comes to the mitochondrial (and in the case of men, Y chromosome) analyses, we are able to provide an ancestral/geographical origin as well as a date. This date depends on what mtDNA and/or Y chromosome haplogroup comes up, but it can reach back > 100 000 years.
The test also has an option for your data to be uploaded into GEDMatch which is a global database that compares your DNA to other individuals who have uploaded their profiles and then provides you with a degree of relatedness. In other words, you can find people related to you from a parent to a distant cousin. People with interests ranging from amateurs to professionals, genealogists, historians, researchers, and adoptees have leveraged the large pool of data on the site to build family trees, find birth families, and learn more about their DNA and by extension, their history. For more information, you can visit https://www.gedmatch.com/ and learn more about how to use GEDmatch.
What support will Mediclinic Precise offer me to understand my results?
The reports are easy to understand as they describe which areas or populations across the world your genetic data matches most closely. It will guide you to what percentage of the genes are shared with those populations.
Should you need more information or guidance, a Mediclinic Precise product manager can be contacted via ancestry.info@mediclinic.co.za to schedule a time to discuss the results.
Mediclinic Precise Ancestry Test - Ancestry Testing Report Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are my Mediclinic Precise ancestry test results?
As with most statistical calculations, these are estimated values associated with some degree of error, however, we have minimised this as much as possible to provide the most accurate results (overall accuracy of 92%) through comparison to other international reference databases.
Will my Mediclinic Precise ancestry test results change and why?
As specific populations in the database increase in size, we may have an updated reference data set that your DNA sample is compared to. Your results may change slightly, however, the overall continental ancestry ratio should remain largely the same, e.g. if you are 80% African, you will not switch to European with a reanalysis. We may also add new regions to the report, which could change your results if a contribution from the new ancestral region is present.
Why do females not receive paternal lineage results?
Most humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in every cell of their body. One pair of these chromosomes are called the “sex” chromosomes determining whether you are biologically a male or female. Females have two X chromosomes i.e. XX, while males have one X and one Y chromosome i.e. XY. Currently, the paternal lineage can only be determined using the Y chromosome and therefore it can only be performed for males as they have the Y chromosome
Why do my maternal and/or paternal lineages not directly correlate with my overall ancestral contributions?
The Mediclinic Precise ancestry test looks at different parts of your genome, which carries specific information about your genetic history. The maternal lineage looks at mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down from mother to child, whilst the paternal lineage looks at the Y chromosome passed down from father to son. The overall ancestral contributions represent genetic information contained in chromosomes 1-22. Both the maternal and paternal lineages are able to trace your origins back 1000’s of years (in most cases), whereas the ancestral contributions provide you with both older and more recent origins.
Is the ancestry test helpful to determine who my father is (paternity)?
No, the ancestry test cannot be used to determine who your father is. It does not specifically look for an individual but rather at a population level if you have a genetic match. Therefore it can only match you to a population group such as Southern African, Koi San, Southern Eastern Asian, and Central European.
Can I use it to trace my family?
Yes, potentially your results can assist if you have also asked to match your data into the GEDmatch Genealogy Report database AND a genetic relative of yours has done the same. The GEDmatch system will then be able to connect you with family across the globe.
What is raw data?
What is raw data? The raw data file contains all the genetic markers our algorithm used to compare DNA to our genetic database. You may request your raw data from Mediclinic Precise and opt to use your data for additional genetic analyses or reports in future.
Will my data be protected?
Your personal information shall be treated as confidential and collected, processed and stored by Mediclinic and our service providers in a manner that ensures appropriate security thereof, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical and organisational measures, which include:
- identity and access management
- infrastructure and operations security
- vulnerability management
- business continuity planning
- disaster recovery planning
- security awareness
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.
Mediclinic will not be held liable for any breach in data protection once an individual has downloaded their raw genetic data file from our servers and/or have opted to upload their data to GEDmatch or any other 3rd party provider. Individuals should be aware of genetic data safety concerns and make informed decisions regarding whom they trust with their data.