Reproductive Status

Years back I remember going on a series of job interviews for a position as a therapist in the field of mental health. Before landing said job, there were a handful of interviews I went through that still bother me today.

In the field of mental health, you would think that those are the people that are most perceptive, sensitive to the needs of others, empathic, and are caring towards others. You would think.

During the course of interviewing, I was often asked my opinions on various treatment modalities, my knowledge on various disorders, and my preferred course of treatment for various disorders. Since I was interviewing for a position as a therapist, these were very appropriate questions.

However, I was asked a lot of other questions regarding my personal life. I was asked if I had a boyfriend? Did I plan on marrying said boyfriend? How long have I been dating said boyfriend? Did I have any kids? Did I plan on having kids? If so, how many? When?

I cannot even describe how uncomfortable these questions made me. For starters, I did not care to disclose these matters to a stranger. Secondly, some questions I could not even answer for myself. Marriage is a decision not made by one person alone. Reproduction is a decision that should be made by two people (the exception being a visit to a sperm bank).

My personal life and my reproductive status is my business alone. It should not enter into the hiring process.