Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions:
DNA Testing and
The Culpepper DNA Project

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How do you protect my privacy?

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To protect the privacy of each and every DNA project member, the test results and identities of project members are shown only on password protected web pages, and only if they have granted permission for their names and results to be revealed to others who are close matches. Under no circumstances will we reveal this information to those who are not project members.  Also see FamilyTreeDNA's Privacy Statement.

Can an insurance company or employer use my genealogical DNA sample or test results against me?

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No, such discrimination is protected by law. On May 21, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) which bans employers and insurance companies from denying employment, promotions, or healthcare coverage to people based upon the results of genetic tests.

Could the police use my genealogical DNA test results to positively identify me?

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Your genealogical DNA test results are not publicly published with your name. Thus, law enforcement officials would generally have no way of knowing about your genealogical DNA test. However, if they did want to use DNA to identify you, they would have to have a legal basis to compel you to provide a sample. In any event, your genealogical DNA sample and test, lacking a controlled chain of custody, could not be used in the prosecution of a crime or as a definitive paternity test.

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Further, the types of DNA used for genetic genealogical testing cannot be used to singularly identify you. Why? If you are a male, your brother, your father, your grandfather, and your male cousins all have essentially the same Y-chromosome as you and an individual cannot be singularly identified using the Y-chromosome. A well-known example of this is that Thomas Jefferson cannot be ascertained as the father of Sally Hemmings' children since other Jefferson males share the same Y-chromosome.

Could my DNA results reveal any medical conditions?

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The section of the Y-chromosome used for genealogical DNA testing in the Culpepper project is non-coding DNA. This means it does not recombine (mix) or have any known uses other than to fill the spaces in between your genes, and no medical conditions have ever been correlated with this type of DNA. However, because this type of DNA does not mix and changes very slowly (mutates), it is beneficial for use in genealogical applications.

I've heard that some people taking Y-DNA tests do not have a match with anyone else with their surname. If that happens to me, does that mean I am illegitimate or was swapped as a baby at the hospital?

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Probably not. If an individual does not match others in the project, in most cases it simply means that there is either hidden paternity or a genealogical research error, but not illegitimacy. Most often, this appears to be the result of a distant ancestor being adopted (often as the baby of a parent's deceased sister or sister-in-law), raised as if he were a son, and later generations of descendants being unaware of the fact. See Reasons and Probabilities for Hidden Paternity

There seems to be a lot of technical jargon. Where can I find simple definitions of DNA terms?

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See Y-DNA Glossary of Terms

What is family history DNA research all about and what can I learn from it?

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See Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the FamilyTreeDNA website.

What is the Culpepper Family DNA project all about and what can I learn from it?

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See Culpepper Family DNA Project

How can I find out if I qualify for free testing?

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See Free Testing Qualifications

Address other questions about the Culpepper Family DNA project to its Project Administrator: Warren Culpepper warren@culpepper.com.

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Last Revised: 02 Jan 2015

 
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