Summary
In order to participate in StrateGene Research, you must consent to the full terms in our full consent document (below). Below is a summary of important points of that document:
- How do I take part in StrateGene Research? Take surveys or otherwise enter information about yourself through the Dirty Genes LLC websites, including the StrateGene site. You choose which surveys to take and which questions to answer.
- Which of my personal information is used for research? Your Genetic Information and any other Personal Information you enter on through the Dirty Genes LLC websites, including the StrateGene site, except for your identifiable Registration Information (name, contact information, and credit card information), may be analyzed in the research. Your name and contact information may be used to communicate with you but are not analyzed in combination with your Genetic and other Personal Information.
- Who gets to see my personal information? Our Privacy Policy details who has access to your information. This consent document lists the additional individuals who will get access if you consent to take part in research.
- Within Dirty Genes LLC: Dirty Genes researchers who conduct analyses will have access to your Genetic Information and other Personal Information, but not your name or other contact information.
- Outside of Dirty Genes LLC: Dirty Genes LLC may share some data with external research partners and in scientific publications. These data will be summarized across enough customers to minimize the chance that your personal information will be exposed. Dirty Genes LLC may need to share the information with other agencies as required by law.
- How will I benefit from this research? You may learn about Dirty Genes LLC’s research findings resulting from StrateGene Research, including how your answers compare with those of others and new discoveries made by Dirty Genes LLC’s research program. Sometime in the future you or your family may benefit indirectly from research discoveries made by Dirty Genes LLC or its research partners.
- What are the risks of taking part in this research? There is a very small chance that someone with access to the research data or results could expose Personal Information about you, but Dirty Genes LLC has policies and practices in place to minimize the chance of such an event.
- Can I stop taking part in StrateGene Research? Yes, you can withdraw from StrateGene Research at any time. Your information that has already been entered into a study cannot be withdrawn, but your information will not be included in studies that start more than 30 days after you withdraw (it may take up to 30 days to withdraw your information after you withdraw your consent).
Full Consent Document
Dirty Genes LLC, the provider of StrateGene, will carry out StrateGene Research. In order to participate in StrateGene Research, you must consent to the terms below. StrateGene Research refers to research refers to (1) research aimed at publication in peer-reviewed journals; (2) other research funded by the federal government; or (3) research otherwise conducted or sponsored by, or conducted on behalf of, or in collaboration with third parties, such as non-profit, public, or private commercial entities (e.g., such as academic entities ).
In performing our Research Activities, Dirty Genes LLC aims to:
- Discover genetic factors which contribute to signs and symptoms
- Uncover how environment influences genetic expression
- Learn which genes are readily modifiable using lifestyle, diet, nutrients, and the environment
- Inform the public and health professionals of our research findings
- Create hypotheses and test them
- Publish research findings in order to educate the public about our findings
For further details on how Dirty Genes LLC uses your Personal Information, see our Privacy Policy, including our Genetic Testing Privacy Notice.
This document explains:
- What you are agreeing to if you consent to participate in research
- How you can participate in research
- How your data will be used during research
- The benefits and risks of participating in research
- Your alternatives and how to withdraw from research
- How we protect your data and keep it private
- Who you can contact if you have any questions
Terms that are capitalized, but not otherwise defined herein, will be defined and described in detail in our Privacy Policy, including our Genetic Testing Privacy Notice.
What you are agreeing to if you consent to participate in research
Giving consent by checking the appropriate box means that you agree to let Dirty Genes LLC and its research partners use your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information for StrateGene Research. Self-Disclosed Information includes any information you submitted prior to giving consent. Collectively, “Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information” may include:
- Your Genetic Information
- Information you enter into surveys, forms and otherwise provide us when you use our Genetic Testing Services
- Information you authorize us to import for research (if we request health information, we will ask you to review a separate authorization or consent form)
- Your age and ethnicity
Your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information does not include identifiable Registration Information you provided when you purchased the Genetic Testing Services or otherwise created an account (such as name, address, email address, user ID, password, or credit card information).
How you can participate in research
Your participation in the StrateGene Research study is completely voluntary.
When taking part in StrateGene Research, you will: (1) allow StrateGene Researchers to use your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information for StrateGene Research, and (2) enter data about yourself into StrateGene Research features on the Dirty Genes websites, including the StrateGene site, such as surveys, individual questions, and other applicable features where you enter information. If you do not feel comfortable providing a piece of information, you may choose not to provide such information. You may choose to take all, some, or none of the surveys.
StrateGene Research may change as new surveys and features may be added on a continuing basis. If new surveys or features are added, we may invite you to complete these activities. We may also invite you to participate in a specific study if your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information matches an area of interest. Such invitations will be sent using routine communication methods, such as email, push notifications or announcements when you sign in to your account.
How your data will be used during research
Your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information may be used to:
- Discover genetic factors which contribute to signs and symptoms
- Uncover how environment influences genetic expression
- Learn which genes are readily modifiable using lifestyle, diet, nutrients, and the environment
- Inform the public and health professionals of our research findings
- Create hypotheses and test them
- Publish research findings in order to educate the public about our findings
Some of these studies may be sponsored by or conducted on behalf of third parties, such as non-profit foundations, academic institutions or entities that promote health and well-being.
Further, Dirty Genes LLC may use your information in additional ways. Specifically, Dirty Genes LLC researchers can use your information for research that will be published in scientific journals, or that is sponsored by the governmental organizations, such as National Institutes of Health, and certain other third party organizations.
Additionally, this study may cover potentially sensitive topics such as sexual orientation, substance use disorders, such as drug use or other illegal behavior, or HIV/AIDS status. If Dirty Genes LLC conducts research on such sensitive topics, we will be provide additional information so you can decide if you want to participate in research involving such topics.
The benefits and risks of participating in research
Benefits:
Dirty Genes LLC hopes to make meaningful scientific contributions by enabling you to participate directly in genetic research. If Dirty Genes LLC publishes study results in peer-reviewed journals, there may be an indirect benefit to you. For example, our research study may increase scientific knowledge and/or develop new supplements or tests.
You may also have the opportunity to acquire one or more of the following, in return for some level of participation in the research:
- comparison of your personal survey responses to those of all responders;
- additional information about genetics; or
- preliminary research findings.
Furthermore, there may be additional benefits to participation that are currently unforeseeable.
Based on the results from a StrateGene Research study, Dirty Genes LLC may develop intellectual property, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, and/or Dirty Genes LLC may commercialize products or services, directly or indirectly. In such cases you will not receive any compensation.
Risks:
Described below are some potential risks to participating in the StrateGene Research:
- Some survey questions or data comparisons may be sensitive and may make you or your family members uncomfortable.
- Your information, such as your Genetic Information, survey responses, and/or any other identifiable Personal Information may be stolen in the event of a data breach. In the event that such a breach occurs, your information associated with your identity may be made public or released to certain entities. If you or a family member has Genetic Information linked to your name or your family member’s name in a public database, someone who has access to your Genetic Information might be able to link that data to your name or your family member’s name through the publicly available Genetic Information. Although Dirty Genes LLC cannot provide a complete guarantee that your data will be safe, Dirty Genes has strong policies and procedures in place to minimize the possibility of a breach, as discussed below.
- When Dirty Genes researchers publish results from StrateGene Research, they may include your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information but only as part of a summary across enough people to minimize the chance that your personal information will be exposed. Identification of your individual-level data from those summaries would be extremely difficult. However, it is possible that a third party that has obtained some of your Genetic Information through other means could compare that summary to the published results and infer some of your other Personal Information.
- As with any online service, if you disclose your account password to other third parties, they may be able to access your account and your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information.
There may be additional risks to participation that are currently unforeseeable. None of the surveys or other procedures used by the researchers participating in StrateGene Research is invasive. The procedures involved do not involve more than the minimal risks described above.
Your alternatives and how to withdraw from research
Your alternative is not to participate in the StrateGene Research. If you choose not to give consent for StrateGene Research, your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information may still be used for other purposes, as described in our Privacy Policy, including our Genetic Testing Privacy Notice. If you do give consent to participate in StrateGene Research, you may choose not to participate in or take surveys or use other StrateGene Research features that are available on our website.
At any time, you may choose to change your consent status to either take part in StrateGene Research or to withdraw all or some of your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information from StrateGene Research. Your consent status is located on your account page and you can withdraw your consent status by unchecking your current consent selection. If you withdraw all or some of your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information, Dirty Genes LLC will prevent that information from being used in any new StrateGene Research initiated after 30 days from receipt of your request for withdrawal (it may take up to 30 days to withdraw your information after you withdraw your consent). Any research on your information that has been performed or published prior to this date cannot be reversed, undone, or withdrawn.
Your access to your Genetic Information or to your Genetic Testing Services will not be affected if you choose not to give consent or withdraw from StrateGene Research.
You may also discontinue participation in StrateGene Research by closing your Genetic Testing Services account, as described in the Privacy Policy and the Genetic Testing Privacy Noice.
In the following cases, Dirty Genes LLC will maintain your Genetic & Self-Disclosed Information according to the terms of our Privacy Statement.
- Change of Ownership or Corporate Organization. If Dirty Genes LLC undergoes a business transition such as an acquisition or merger, the StrateGene Research study may be terminated. In such case, your information would remain subject to the promises made in any Privacy Policy.
- Termination of service. Dirty Genes LLC may terminate your access to the Genetic Testing Services for any of the reasons described in the Terms of Service. If your access to the Genetic Testing Services is terminated for any of these reasons, your participation in the StrateGene Research study may also be terminated.
How we protect your data and keep it private
Dirty Genes LLC’s Privacy Policy describes how the company protects your privacy you with the services. Dirty Genes LLC uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect the privacy of your Personal Information.
Updated: June 18, 2020