Commercial DNA tests used to search for fathers

“People have a strong need, and even a right to know about their background. In this sense, DNA tests are important and valuable,” says postdoctoral researcher Anna Reetta Rönkä. She participated in Syljen jäljet (“Traces of Saliva”), a study led by the University of Oulu, and examined adoptees’ experiences of using DNA tests to search for their biological parents.

Rönkä interviewed 12 adoptees of different ages and explored what happens when the test results reveal new information about one’s background, information that can sometimes be difficult to handle.

“Many interviewees had spent years, even decades, on an emotionally exhausting search marked by unexpected turns and strong emotions. Most were able to find their biological mother through traditional adoption records, but locating the father proved much more difficult and required a great deal of time, effort, and money,” Rönkä says.

There are many reasons why finding a father is challenging. Parents who relinquished a child for adoption may have been in a difficult life situation. The mother may not know the father’s identity, or the circumstances during pregnancy may have been so difficult that the father was not recorded. Background factors may include violence, substance abuse, young age, or financial hardship. If the child was born outside marriage, paternity had to be established separately, and the father listed in the population register is not always the biological one.

“An unexpected contact after decades can be mentally demanding for parents and their families,” Rönkä notes.

For some adoptees in the study, the DNA test served as a tool for confirming information. A few found their father easily through the test, but only after a long period of unsuccessful searching through traditional means.

For many adoptees, simply learning the identity of their biological parents was enough; they did not feel the need to build a social relationship. Gaining this knowledge brought peace, as it finally answered a question that had remained open for years. Only a few of the interviewees had established contact with their biological father.

From saliva to family data – a conversation about the phenomenon is needed

Although DNA tests can provide answers to some of life’s biggest questions, researchers point out that they also raise significant data protection concerns and ethical challenges that many users overlook.

Commercial DNA test companies such as Ancestry, MyHeritage, FTDNA, and 23andMe match users with millions of other profiles. DNA data becomes the property of the testing companies, which may sell it onward, for example for medical research. DNA datasets have also been sold to academic researchers, insurance companies, and pharmaceutical firms.

“There is not enough awareness of this. The phenomenon is growing rapidly, and its ethical dimensions require informed, broader public discussion,” Rönkä emphasizes.

Many people conduct searches work alone, without guidance on how to interpret their results or how to approach newly found relatives. In Finland and internationally, volunteers known as “search angels” help interpret results and locate relatives, and they often provide invaluable support to searchers—especially adoptees.

Researcher’s key points:

• DNA tests may be the only way for adoptees to find biological relatives, but results can lead to unexpected and emotionally charged situations.
• Data protection deserves special attention: companies own the DNA data and may sell it onward, so consumers should carefully read privacy policies. Personal data can be deleted from databases upon request.
• Ethical questions extend beyond the test-taker. One person’s DNA sample can reveal information about their entire extended family, including individuals who have not taken a DNA test.
• The responsibility for consumers is significant, as interpreting results, contacting relatives, and possible misinterpretations can lead to stressful situations and misunderstandings.
• Higher-level regulation is lacking. Although the risks of taking a test may be small, the growing use of DNA testing calls for broader ethical and societal debate.
• “Search angels” help interpret results and assist in the search process. They are often volunteers, although some services may charge a fee.

The Syljen jäljet (“Traces of Saliva”) study examined people’s experiences of using commercial DNA tests in genealogy and in tracing biological heritage. The research continues at Tampere University, where the international DNADialogues network has moved.

The study was led at the University of Oulu by Professor Joa Hiitola, who now works at Tampere University. It was funded by the North Ostrobothnia Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Eudaimonia Institute of the University of Oulu.

The study has been published in the journal Adoption Quarterly: Anna Reetta Rönkä & Joa Hiitola: “Tracing a Hundred Years of Secrets” Finnish Adoptees’ Search for Birth Families Through DNA Testing

DOI: 10.1080/10926755.2025.2549322