Truth, Proof, Sleuth: Trust in Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing and Other Sources of Identity Information among Australian Donor-Conceived People

Abstract

The digital age is characterised by unprecedented access to technologies to understand our bodies, genetics and family histories. The last decade has seen a growing uptake of direct-to-consumer DNA testing, which is (re)shaping individuals’ identity narratives. Drawing on data from a national online survey with Australian donor-conceived people (N = 91) and semi-structured interviews (N = 28), we conceptualise DNA results as a genetic narrative that coexists with other sources of identity information such as familial narratives, medical records and experiential knowledge from peers. Our analysis derived three themes: truth – how DNA results disrupted ontological security and prompted confrontation; proof – how DNA testing was valued and legitimised, especially compared with medical records; and sleuth – how DNA testing was leveraged in agentive practices. In doing so, we explore how processes of (dis)trust shape the forms of identity information individuals seek out, believe and rely upon to position themselves within relational and socio-technical webs.