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3900 Ambassador Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508

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Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Division of Community Health Services
3900 Ambassador Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508.

Ask Nurse Lisa submissions are monitored by ANTHC HIV/STD Prevention staff. All ANTHC staff are mandatory reporters, requiring all staff to report specific harms to the police and/or child protective services. To learn more about mandatory reporting, please visit the State of Alaska Office of Children Services webpage.

This site has been funded at least in part with grant funds from the AmerisourceBergen Foundation (ABF) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent official views of the ABF, IHS or ANTHC. No official support or endorsements by the ABF, IHS or ANTHC for opinions expressed on this website intended or should be inferred.

Privacy Policy | Copyright 2020, iknowmine.org. All rights reserved.

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May 25

Ask which sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIs) you are being tested for.

Not all STI tests are the same, and no STI test is comprehensive. There's not a single test that covers all STIs. In fact, each STI could have its own test type.

For example, if you test for chlamydia and gonorrhea, your syphilis status is unknown, unless you take a separate test for it. If you have a concern about a specific STI, bring that up with your health care provider to ensure they test for it.

Keep in mind that you might have to take site-specific tests. For example, you might need genital, anal and oral testing. A negative test for a genital site does not necessarily mean you will test negative orally or anally.

To learn more about STI testing, visit https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/sti-testing/ (link in bio)

#Safesex #std #stdawareness #sexualhealth #safersex #sexed #sexualwellness #stdtesting #HIVstigma #endthestigma #safesexisgreatsex

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May 16

Join us in celebrating the contributions of 2sLGBTQ+ Elders who, through their tireless efforts, have positively impacted representation and inclusion for all in our communities.

#NationalHonorOurLGBTEldersDay #NationalLGBTEldersDay #LGBTEldersDay #LGBTElders #SeniorPride #ElderPride #ElderAdvocacy

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May 12

One of the most effective ways to support our friends and relatives and their mental health is to provide safe spaces so folks can thrive as their authentic selves. A safe space is welcoming, supportive, confidential and free of judgement and harmful actions and behavior. Everyone deserves a safe space, whether in public, at home or through the relationships we create and we can all play a role in creating safe spaces.

Quick tips for creating a safe space include:
📘 Take on your own learning
🙏 Practice humility
🙊 Keep things confidential

Learn more: https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/safe-spaces/ (link in bio)

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May 5

Today is National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, a day to honor the memories and experiences of our daughters, cousins, aunties and relatives all over the world.

Join the MMIWG2S Alaska Working Group for an in-person vigil today at 1-4 p.m., located at Umoja on 341 Boniface Parkway, Anchorage 99504. Visit the link in the bio to refer to their Facebook event page for details.

Alternatively, visit the link in the bio to join the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center virtually at noon.

#mmip #mmiwg #mmiw

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May 2

On May 5, wear red to honor our sisters, mothers, daughters and Two-spirit relatives in observance of National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Visit the link in the bio to learn about Alaska-specific information on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons at dataforindigenousjustice.com.

#mmiw #mmiwg #mmip

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Apr 18

It's National Transgender HIV Testing Day, and we can all work together to promote community wellness. Everyone deserves access to health and wellness, but the reality is that many people encounter barriers. One of the best things we can do to promote health equity is to commit to providing safe, inclusive, welcoming spaces where everyone feels comfortable with accessing the care they need.
Quick tips on how to do that are:
🌈 Take on your own learning
🌈 Practice humility
🌈 Keep things confidential
Learn more about how create safe spaces: www.iknowmine.org/topic/safe-spaces/

An additional approach to health equity is to provide options that are secure and convenient. For example, all Alaskans can order free HIV self-testing kits so folks can choose when and where they test, with optional follow-up from compassionate, understanding clinicians at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium's HIV/AIDS Clinical Services program.

Order an HIV self-test kit: iknowmine.org/hiv-testing
Or, find HIV testing options near you: https://gettested.cdc.gov/

#StopHIVTogether #NTHTD #TransHealth
Image credit: CDC.gov | National Transgender HIV Testing Day

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Apr 14

Our friends at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board are looking for participants to complete a survey about HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis knowledge and attitudes. Participate and you might be eligible to receive an Amazon gift card for your time. Please text "survey" to 94449 for details.

Image credit: @npaihb

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Apr 13

It's STD Awareness week, and we'd like to equip you with knowledge to make informed decisions about your sexual health. According to the American Sexual Health Association, 1 in 2 people who are sexually active will get a sexually transmitted infection (STI) by age 25. Basically, STIs are more common than most people think and STI testing and treatment are often routine aspects of health care.

Key facts about STI testing are that it's:
· EASY.
· QUICK & PAINLESS.
· FREE OR CHEAP.
Alaska Native beneficiaries can get free testing at their local Tribal Health Organization. Otherwise, most insurance covers STI testing. There are also free clinics with testing options — check out this testing locator: https://gettested.cdc.gov/
· CONFIDENTIAL.
· GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH.
· BETTER DONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

Learn more about STI testing: iknowmine.org/sti-testing (link in bio)

Content adapted from yesmeanstest.org by the American Sexual Health Association
Image credit: @wernative

#STIAwarenessWeek #STIAwareness #safersex #getyourselftested #gyt

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Apr 10

Today, 1 in 5 new HIV diagnoses occur in young people ages 13-24.
Young people deserve:
✔️comprehensive sexuality education
✔️HIV-policy modernization
✔️free and accessible testing, treatment and preventative resources

This National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (NYHAAD) support young ppl living w/ & impacted by HIV:
❤️ Do your homework. Learn about HIV and how it impacts people living with and impacted by HIV.
❤️ Advocate for inclusivity and health equity for 2SLGBTQIA+ folks.
❤️ Seek out resources:
🔹 Learn more about HIV: iknowmine.org/hiv
🔹 Order free condoms, oral dams and HIV self-testing kits, visit iknowmine.org/store
🔹 For PrEP, a medication that helps prevent HIV infection, talk to your local health care provider or visit https://npin.cdc.gov/preplocator to find a PrEP provider near you. (links in bio)

Image credit and content adapted from "NYHAAD Social Media Toolkit" by Advocates for Youth | @advocatesforyouth

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Apr 5

All STAR services for survivors are free of charge.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, contact STAR | @star.alaska:
24/7/365 Crisis Line Support (907) 276-7273
or
Toll-Free Statewide (800) 478-8999

Learn more about STAR here: https://www.staralaska.com/ (link in bio)

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Mar 30

PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a medicine to help maintain HIV-negative status. It is another layer of protection to prevent HIV transmission. PrEP involves taking medication regularly to greatly lower the risk of HIV transmission. PrEP is a safe, low-cost or free medication that works for everyone, regardless of gender identities, sexual orientation and drug-use status.

Unlike condoms, PrEP does not protect from STIs, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia or genital herpes. PrEP should be used in addition to using condoms for increased protection against STIs.

Talk to a medical provider about the risk for HIV transmission and whether PrEP is a good option.

Find a PrEP Provider near you: https://preplocator.org/
Learn more at: https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/hiv-treatment-and-prevention/

#PrEP #safersex #sexed #HIV #StopHIVTogether

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Mar 28

Knowing your HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) statuses are important aspects of practicing safer sex. Testing is the only way to know your status. However, talking to a provider about sexual health can feel challenging. Here are some ways you can start the conversation:
💚 Should I test for HIV?
💙 Could I get comprehensive STI testing?
💜 Can we talk about PrEP?
💛 I'm concerned about my STI status. What can I do?
💚 If I'm positive for STIs or HIV, can you help me notify my partner(s)?
💙 Can my partner and I be tested for STIs together?

Learn more about HIV and STI testing: www.iknowmine.org/topic/sti-testing (link in bio)

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Mar 24

Homophobia, transphobia and discrimination against 2sLGBTQ+ folks continue today and persist in many areas of life. Because of this, many people feel afraid or unsafe to pursue the care and services they need for healthy, fulfilling lives.

Some of the first steps we can take to support our 2sLGBTQ+ friends and relatives are to
📖 educate ourselves with credible sources to address bias, stigma and misinformation
🗣 speak up when we hear misinformed and harmful statements about 2sLGBTQ+ people
💜 ensure we're creating safe spaces in all areas of life

Learn more about creating safe, inclusive spaces: https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/safe-spaces/

Check out the "Celebrating Our Magic" toolkit developed by our friends at @2slgtq and @npaihb: https://www.pathsremembered.org/toolkit/ (links in bio)

Video credit: CDC.gov

#standuptostigma #safespaces #healthequity

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Mar 20

Today is National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day to address the impact of HIV on American Indian, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian people. We can help #StopHIVTogether by supporting each other as a community. Together, we can reduce HIV stigma and promote testing, prevention and treatment.

Here are some tips on how to be a supportive relative:
👂 Listen: Listen to your relative's needs. Have open conversations and be honest.
📖 Learn: Take time to educate yourself, and learn as much as you can about HIV and your relative's experience
💗 Love/ Support: Show your love and support to your relative in ways that are meaningful to them. Also, take time to care for yourself and establish a solid support system, so you can be more present for your relative living with HIV.

Learn more about HIV treatment and prevention at https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/hiv-treatment-and-prevention/ (link in bio)

Image credit: National Native HIV Network @NativeHIV @NNHAAD

#NNHAAD #NativeHIV

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Mar 18

HIV stigma negatively impacts everyone’s health, regardless of a person’s #HIV status. Stigma can alienate people we care about, prevent people from making well-informed decisions and create barriers in accessing health care. We all have a role to play when it comes to stopping HIV stigma.

We can choose to:
💜 Speak up when people say untrue or stigmatizing comments
💙 Share information about treatment and preventative medication
💚 Talk to providers about risky behaviors, like injection drug use or condomless sex
💛 Support people who come out with their HIV status

We're all in this together! Support others and stop stigma.
Learn more: https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/hiv-stigma/ (link in bio)

Image credit: Center for Disease Control and Prevention | "Stop HIV Stigma" social media toolkit at https://www.cdc.gov/stophivtogether/partnerships/toolkit/february-202-toolkit.html

#StopHIVTogether

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Mar 14

Access to HIV treatment is a right that every person living with HIV/AIDS should have. HIV medicine, or PrEP, reduces the HIV viral load to an amount so low that it cannot be detected in the blood. And that means HIV cannot be transmitted sexually.
Find a PrEP provider: preplocator.org
Learn more at www.iknowmine.org/topic/hiv-treatment-and-prevention

Content credit: loveleadshere.org/u=u/ | Can't Find It, Can't Share It
Image credit: Center for Disease Control and Prevention | "Let's Stop HIV Together" social media toolkit

#CantFindItCantShareIt #UEqualsU
#UndetectableHIV #EndHIVStigma

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Mar 11

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medicine that is highly effective at preventing HIV, is for women too! This National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, talk to a health care provider about taking PrEP. Visit your local Tribal clinic or public health center: https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Nursing/Pages/locations.aspx

Learn more about PrEP for women: https://bit.ly/3E5YEO7. (links in bio)

Video and content credit: CDC.gov
#NWGHAAD #StopHIVTogether #ShesWell

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Mar 7

What’s the difference between HIV and HPV?
HIV and HPV are *completely* different viruses. Both viruses are transmitted through sexual contact but affect the body in different ways. HIV is a virus that affects the immune system and makes an individual’s immune system too weak to fend off infection. HPV is a virus that affects the skin and moist membranes and can cause cell changes. HPV can cause genital warts and HPV-related cancers that include cancer of the cervix, anus, back of the throat or mouth (oropharynx), vulva, vagina and penis. Because people living with HIV have a weakened immune system, they therefore are at higher risk of contracting HPV that causes genital warts and cancers caused by HPV.

Get screened for HIV and HPV today at your local Tribal clinic or public health center: https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Nursing/Pages/locations.aspx (link in bio)

Image and content source: "HPV Facts for People Living with HIV" by askabouthpv.org | @askabouthpv
https://www.askabouthpv.org/hpv-facts/hpv-facts-for-people-living-with-hiv

#onelessworry #healthequity #HPV #cancerprevention

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Mar 4

What is HPV? 🧐
HPV stands for human papillomavirus. It is a very common virus with many different variants.

Often, people with HPV are asymptomatic, or have no apparent signs of HPV. Sometimes people experience symptoms like skin warts on the hands, feet or genitals. However, some types of HPV can lead to cancer.

There is currently no cure for HPV. Sometimes HPV goes away on its own, but sometimes it doesn't. It's when it doesn't go away that HPV can lead to cell abnormalities, which if aren't treated, can lead to cancer. Cancer prevention is possible through vaccination, regular screenings and early detection and treatment.

How Can You Avoid Getting HPV?
Get the HPV vaccine at the recommended age (ideally before becoming sexually active). Vaccination can prevent 90% of cervical and anal cancers and most other cancers caused by HPV. Talk to your health care provider to discuss HPV vaccine eligibility.
Use condoms regularly. Consistent condom use can reduce (but not completely eliminate) the risk of getting HPV. Using condoms 100% of the time reduces the risk of spreading HPV by about 70%.
A barrier method that reduces the risk of getting HPV during oral sex is an oral dam (also known as a dental dam). Oral dams are latex or polyurethane sheets used between the mouth and vagina or anus during oral sex. An oral dam reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HPV.

Talk to your provider today about HPV screening and vaccination.
Tribal health beneficiaries can visit the ANTHC Walk-in clinic, regardless of where they live in Alaska: https://www.anthc.org/departments/walk-in-clinic/#

HPV information content adapted from "HPV Facts for Everyone" by askabouthpv.org
Image credit: askabouthpv.org | @askabouthpv
#onelessworry #healthequity #HPV #cancer #cancerprevention #cancerscreening #cervicalcancer #cervicalcancerscreening #analcancer

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Mar 4

Today is International Sex Worker Rights Day.
While everyone deserves access to health and wellness, the reality is that many people encounter barriers and/or are vulnerable to experiencing harm, which can mean they're susceptible to HIV infection.
The best way to prevent infection is by using condoms and taking medication to either prevent or manage infections, such as PrEP or antiretroviral therapy (ART). People who use intravenous drugs can prevent infection by not sharing injection equipment and supplies.

Get tested for HIV today. Find a testing location near you: https://gettested.cdc.gov/

Learn more about HIV treatment and prevention at https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/hiv-treatment-and-prevention/.

#healthequity #healthcareisahumanright

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