I received an Ancestry kit for Christmas. I have yet to fill the tube with saliva... I'm not opposed, I just haven't done it. After reading these comments, I think I may just send it in this week! My mom was adopted. She found her birth mother through a search in the early 2000's, and she's still a huge part of our lives though my mom passed a few years ago.. My main concern is the other half of her DNA. I know NOTHING about her "father," and worry about matches popping up.
The "in strangers hands" aspect doesn't make me too nervous, but I do think about it from time to time. My DNA is already in at least one database from genetic tests I had done before and after having my son. He has a rare birth defect and has had multiple tests done to pinpoint which gene mutated. Its fascinating stuff, really!