“I Have a Say”: Share your birth control story on YouTube

The Coalition to Protect Women’s Health Care got a shout out at this morning’s hearing on birth control. Sarah Flake, a Georgetown University student, testified and mentioned that women should be encouraged to share their birth control stories on YouTube. “I Have A Say” is a direct response to last week’s ridiculous hearing on “religious freedom” in the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, where chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) had a row full of dudes testifying about women’s health care – without a tinge of irony. The fact of the matter is birth control is an economic issue for many women, and these videos are certainly a good way for women all over the country to make their voices heard.

Check out one of the videos already submitted below. It’s from Tameeka Vandenberg, a medical records assistant at Mercy General in Sacramento, California.

Transcript below the jump!My name is Tameeka Vandenberg and I work at a religiously affiliated organization. You don’t really know the reason why someone chooses to use birth control but when they do apparently they feel that’s the best decision for them in their life at that time. And I really don’t feel that that should be something hard for them to do. The costs of it are expensive and not everyone could afford it so that would be a big problem for them especially for those who know that they really need it and does not have access to it, yeah that can be pretty hard.

My daughter is very special, she’s our miracle. And the story to that is that she is our 12th pregnancy, me and my husband’s. For a long time, we were trying to have children and I had 11 miscarriages. It was a long and hurtful journey but you know, we pray and so that’s what held us together. That’s what held us together, praying and trusting in God. And believing that we were going to get our daughter, like I said it was a hard journey, but she’s here now and we want the best for her. I want her to be in a kind of world where she will be able to make the best decisions for her and you know, I will tell her about birth control just like my mom did. I mean it’s available now for people who need it and it’s so important to be there.