Justin's HIV Journal

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Justin takes the African Ancestry DNA Test



I decided to do the African Ancestry DNA Test because I wanted to know where my African Ancestry came from.  I needed to know as a Black person who understands how important it is to know one’s history.  I truly believe that you do not know where you are going if you don’t know or understand where you come from Slavery has stripped away identifies that we as Black Americans have lost and thisis truly a tragedy.


Using the potheyr of DNA and the most comprehensive database of indigenous African genetic sequences in existence, African Ancestry is the ONLY company that can trace one’s ancestry back to a specific present-day African country and ethnic group of origin dating back more than 500 years ago. If the results are from another continent, they also provide that information.

Everyone carries in their DNA a series of indicators that provide information about their ancestry. This information is passed from generation to generation and can tell a profound story about where someone comes from and highlight a person’s connections to modern-day Africa.

Depending on which test you purchase, they analyze either the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that a person inherited from your mother, the Y chromosome that men inherit from their fathers or autosomal DNA that you inherit from both parents. A simple swab from inside your cheek is all they need to begin the process.

You share information within the genes they extract that is unchanged through every branch of your family tree. In other words, they identify the unique fingerprint that you share with your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on along a single lineage.

Utilizing pioneering genetic scientific methods, they look closely for markers or mutations that indicate where in the world your ancestry is found. If your genes indicate Africa, they then compare them to the world’s largest database of African lineages to determine the present-day African country and ethnic group with which you share maternal or paternal ancestry.


Discovering your roots is an important and truly emotional experience. Once your ancestry has been determined, they provide information about your country of origin so that you can begin to re-connect with your roots. They also provide access to an exclusive online community of others who have also started the journey to find their true identity.

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