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iknowmine (at) iknowmine.org
4115 Ambassador Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508

Truthful, Accurate Information for You(th)

iknowmine (at) iknowmine.org
4115 Ambassador Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508

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

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Dec 18

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In Alaska Native communities, the transition from youth to adulthood is marked by taking on increased responsibilities, such as decision making around your own sexual health. As we close out this series, keep these things in mind:

🌞 You have the power to set your own goals and your own personal boundaries.
🌞 Communication is important in any relationship, including your relationship with family and friends.
🌞 You can set your personal rules when it comes to sex. You can get tested for pregnancy, HIV, and STIs. You can access birth control. Have sex when you are ready.
🌞 Being intimate with someone creates an emotional and physical connection.
🌞 When having sex, consent is required from everyone.

As you set out to reach for the stars, remember to trust your gut, and that you are the expert of yourself.❤

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Dec 11

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Dec 4

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🤲🏽 Intention: I will take care of my mental health before, during, and after sexual activity by checking in with myself and assessing my boundaries.

Your sexual health does impact your mental health, and vice versa. Your mental health can affect things like desire, arousal, the way you feel about yourself, and your confidence.

Remember to have grace and patience with yourself and others when incorporating self-care and self-love practices in your daily life.

A good starting place is to remember who you came from. We are everything our ancestors had ever dreamed of, and more. ❤️❤️❤️

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Nov 27

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Intention: I am not ready to have kids. I want to learn about how I can reduce my risk of unintended pregnancy.

Birth control is a great tool that can help people feel empowered to make choices regarding their future. While the best way to prevent unintended pregnancy is to not have sex, that is not a choice for everyone.

Here are some types of birth control that people use:

🌞 Barrier methods: These help keep sperm from physically reaching the egg through the use of a safer sex tool, like condoms, spermicides, diaphragms and cervical caps.
🌞 Short-acting hormonal methods: These reduce the risk for pregnancy by stopping the ovulation and fertilization of the egg. Some examples of these include: “The Pill,” the patch and the vaginal ring.
🌞 Long-acting contraceptives: These reduce the risk for pregnancy in different ways. Some increase certain hormones, and some do not. These include things like the Intrauterine Device (IUD), the rod, tubal ligation and even vasectomies.
🌞 Emergency contraception: This is used when individuals have unprotected sex, or if a birth control method fails. These include tools like the IUD and the morning-after pill.

It is important to talk to your provider about which birth control option is best for you.
Link in bio to find a health care provider near you!

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Nov 20

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🤲🏽 Intention: I want to talk to my parent about sexual health and using condoms.

Trusted adults play a very important role in our lives. They are there to listen if you need someone to talk to 🗣, can give you advice if you are dealing with things like relationships 🤷🏽‍♀️, school, social pressures 👯🏽‍♀️, and just about anything.
Here are some tips for having a conversation about condoms with your parent:

💪🏽 Be confident - you've decided what's best for you and your well-being.
👍🏽 Be direct - make sure you're clear, "I want to use condoms and would like to talk about it."

Be prepared to talk about all sorts of things, like:
❤ Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
❤ Pregnancy prevention
❤ How to use condoms
❤ How well condoms work

Link in bio to our store, where anyone in Alaska can access free condoms, dental dams and HIV/STI testing with a valid mailing address. 😊

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Nov 14

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It's OK to choose not to have sex. It’s also OK to choose to have sex! Before you have sex, talk to your partner(s) about your preferences ahead of time before things get hot and heavy.
If you are having sex, remember that it’s your right to:
❤ Use barrier protection, such as condoms and oral dams (and have them with you just in case they are needed).
👩🏽‍⚕️ Talk to a health care provider about birth control.
👫🏽 Reduce the number of sexual partners to lower your risk of unplanned pregnancy or STIs.
🏥 Get tested for HIV and STIs, like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis.
🧐 Remember that testing is the only way to know for sure that you do not have an STI or are pregnant.

Link in bio to find your nearest HIV/STI testing location!

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Nov 7

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Last time, we talked about puberty, but it is important to know that a person’s reproductive anatomy is different from a person’s gender identity or sexual preference.
The Gender Unicorn is a tool that can be used in order to explore the different terms related to gender, sex assigned at birth and sexuality.
EVERYONE has a gender identity. This includes your uppa, gram, uncle, siblings or cousins, mom, dad and YOU!

Link in bio to learn how to fill out your own Gender Unicorn! 🦄

Content and image credit: @transstudent
#PartnersInPride #2slgbtqia

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Oct 30

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Adulthood ceremonies often aligned with the same timeline as puberty, which is a time of many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. Hormones change as puberty begins, and puberty affects everyone differently. Most boys grow facial and pubic hair, and their voices deepen. Most girls grow pubic hair and breasts, and start their period. All in all, this is a time when a lot of change happens!
Everybody and every BODY is different. The reproductive system is one of those things where it is so different.

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Oct 29

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The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and ANTHC’s Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation have partnered to manage a rapid response fund on behalf of Tribes. 100 percent of proceeds will be directed to the Native Village of Kotzebue to help respond to the coastal storm and devastating flooding in the area.

How to donate: Individuals and organizations looking to give to the Kotzebue Flood Relief Fund may do so by going to the link in our bio.

Checks may be mailed or delivered to:
Health Alaska Natives Foundation
Attn: Kotzebue Flood Relief Fund
4000 Ambassador Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
Check Memo – Kotzebue Flood Relief Fund

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Oct 23

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“Have patience. Some things cannot be rushed.” – Bristol Bay Yup’ik value

Having romantic interests can be exciting! Knowing what a healthy relationship looks like can help prevent an unhealthy relationship. A healthy relationship includes respect, communication and trust.

Before you go on a date or if you start dating, ask yourself:

👵🏽 Have I talked to a trusted adult about dating yet?
👫🏽 What am I looking for in a partner?
👩🏽‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏽 Am I ready for a physical relationship, or do I want to wait?
🧐 What are my boundaries?

Consent is an important part of everyday life that helps two or more people build a happy and healthy relationship. It means giving permission for something to happen. In any situation, you can choose to say “no,” even after saying “yes.” It is a personal choice that nobody can make or take from anyone else in any situation.

To learn how to establish healthy boundaries with your partner, visit iKnowMine at https://www.iknowmine.org/topic/safe-dating/

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Oct 22

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The Anchorage Youth Development Coalition at @aydcnow has an exciting opportunity for Anchorage youth!

Youth Matter Grant applications for 2025 are now open, and there are five $5,000 grants available for youth-led projects. This is a great opportunity for any group of youth who have an idea for a project that will make an impact on their community.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Rebeka Wilcox at rebekah@safealaskans.org.

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Oct 16

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It is important to have healthy relationships with those around you, including family👨🏾‍👩🏾‍👧🏾‍👦🏾 and friends 👯🏽. When thinking about your relationships, ask yourself:

🥰 Do I feel safe, respected and cared for?
📣 Do I feel like I can talk about issues or share ideas without being afraid?
❤ Do I feel supported to spend time with others around me?
🫶🏾 Do I feel respected in my choices and boundaries about touch?
🤠 Do I feel like I can truly be myself with the other person?

If you say “yes” to all these questions, and the other person can also answer “yes,” then you are in a healthy relationship with them! If you answered “no” to any of these questions, then it is time to consider high-kicking the relationship. Establishing and maintaining boundaries takes time and practice. Remember to be kind to yourself through these processes. 💜

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Oct 10

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It is important to clearly communicate your boundaries with your family‍ 👨🏽‍👩🏽‍👧🏽‍👦🏽, friends 👯🏽 and partners 👨🏽‍❤️‍👨🏽. This way, they can show you respect and honor. If someone has made you uncomfortable, or if your boundaries have changed, you can practice sharing a new boundary with them through these steps:

👁 Use “I” Statements
👄 Clearly express how you feel, what you think and what you want
🫶🏾 Be aware of your body language
❤️ Communicate your feelings

Here’s an example of what the two people might say to each other below when it comes to boundaries when someone wants to ice fish real close to your spot!
“GEE!” or
“Gee, I feel like it’s crowded here. Please go fish down river some more.”

The iKnowMine Youth Advisory Board helped to develop a coloring book that helps people to learn more about how to communicate their boundaries. Check it out at: https://www.iknowmine.org/goals

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Oct 8

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Join the Healthy Native Youth team TOMORROW 10/9 for the HNY Community of Practice! ❤
Tomorrow's session is on 'Building Community with Youth' & it starts at 9am AK time.
Open for teachers, parents, community health educators, tribal partners or anyone working towards a healthier future for our Native youth. We hope to see you there!
Not able to make it? The session will be recorded and posted on the HNY website!
Link in bio!

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Oct 4

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Oct 3

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Boundaries are essential to accomplishing your goals. Boundaries are guidelines that you define in your relationships with other people and may change over time. You will be able to recognize a personal boundary you have by identifying actions that make you comfortable ✅or uncomfortable ❌.
It’s okay to set boundaries because what you want is important too. ❤️

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Sep 26

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Sep 26

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How do you “keep it real” among your friends, family and yourself? 🤔Keeping it real means staying true to yourself or choosing your personal rules that best represent who you want to be.

Setting goals is a very learnable and important life skill. Goals provide us with guidance and often set the direction for our lives. Did you know that the only person who can set your intention or your goal is you?

To learn more about what kind of goals you could set, check out the iKnowMine Youth Advisory Board's coloring book! Link in bio 🤗

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Sep 23

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Sep 16

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