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    Can DNA Testing Find Your Long Lost Relatives?

    DNA testing kits are more popular than ever. DNA tests are now incredibly easy to use and affordable, which has led to a wave of people using them to understand their family ancestry, ethnicity, and to find long lost relatives. 

    As DNA testing rises in popularity, so is the chance of finding a lost family member. Databases are growing and that means more people for you to potentially match with.

    Someone who took a test a few years ago may discover a new match a few years later.

    Keep reading to learn more about how a DNA test can lead you to find living relatives. 

    How Does DNA Testing Connect Relatives?

    The process of taking an at-home DNA test is quite simple. You find the right test for your specific needs and order the test online.

    Once it arrives at your doorstep, you follow a few simple steps. Most likely, you will submit a simple cheek swab or a saliva sample. Next, you mail your test back to the company. Finally, you wait for your results to be sent to you. 

    Upon the arrival of your samples, your results will be logged within the testing company’s database. Using their pool of registered people, they will compare your results to find any matches.

    If you do not have any matches, you may find a match in the future as their database grows.

    In addition to the testing company’s database, you can submit results to other online databases to increase your chances of finding relevant matches. 

    What Can Happen If You Search For Relatives?

    There are a number of outcomes to expect if you find a match with a living relative. Some people may not want to be contacted at all.

    Others will need time to deal with the shock of a family secret being revealed. For many, the outcome is a beautiful new relationship.

    Big Surprises

    Once you receive your result, you may be in for a surprise of a lifetime.

    For some, everything they thought they knew about their history, ancestry, and even living relatives, changed as soon as they opened the results. 

    Happily Ever After

    Many adoptees seek out DNA testing as a way to connect with living relatives.

    Due to closed adoptions or missing information, many people do not have access to cousins or distant living relatives.

    A need to find them can stem from simply wanting to know about living family members, or from health-related issues. 

    Many accounts of adoptees finding biological parents have been recorded. In the best of circumstances, biological parents and close relatives are welcoming and accepting of the sudden news, and embrace their new family members with open arms. 

    These are the fairytale endings that many people hope for when going for DNA testing.

    Once you discover a long-lost family member, an entire history, ancestry, and background open up to learn about.

    This can enrich your understanding of your identity and be an extremely fulfilling process. Many people with question marks in their background never find peace until they take one of these tests.

    Hard Rejections

    When taking a DNA test, it is crucial to understand that the results may be shocking and could end in heartache.

    It is a risk you take when doing a test that uncovers your truth, along with that of others.

    There is always the risk that the new family members you discover do not want anything to do with you, so this is something you should be prepared for when reaching out. 

    Bottom Line

    DNA testing is a wonderful way to start your journey to uncovering long lost relatives. By comparing your DNA with thousands of others within DNA databases, you can find living relatives.

    From that point, you can expand your family tree, understand family migration patterns, and even welcome new members into your family. 

    It is essential to consider the emotional aspect of this journey, as certain disappointments or surprises could be in store.

    Take it step by step, weigh up the need to know and the consequences that could unfold, and enjoy this important and fulfilling journey.