Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A's)

04/16/2026

We are committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ community as we all go through such a great loss. Thank you Identity, Inc. for all of the years of service you gave to LGBTQ+ Alaskans and the years of partnership we shared. Four A’s will continue in our role, holding the shared vision of healthy, safe and supported communities.

04/06/2026

The Alaska Public Health Alert Network (AKPHAN) has published an advisory "Medetomidine in the U.S. Illegal Fentanyl Supply Increasing Risk for Overdose and Severe Withdrawal Syndrome". Medetomidine (also known as 'rhino tranq,' 'mede,' or 'dex') is a veterinary sedative 100-200 times stronger than Xylazine* (according to https://www.substanceusephilly.com/medetomidine).

https://health.alaska.gov/media/uawf2hcc/akphan-medetomidine-in-the-us-illegal-fentanyl-supply.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

04/03/2026

04/03/2026

March 16-18 was AIDS Watch in Washington, D.C. and Alaska was represented! Four A's sent a delegation to advocate for our communities on the hill, meeting with Senator Murkowski, Representative Begich and their staff. We talked about the Alaskan reality of living with HIV and trying to prevent the spread of HIV. We discussed the new Medicaid work requirements that will cause so many to lose their health care, the critical need for safe, affordable housing, and needing their full support of long-standing bi-partisan programs like HOPWA (Housing for People with HIV/AIDS) and ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program). Our elected officials and staff welcomed all of us warmly and engaged in meaningful conversation. We look forward to continued engagement with their state staff to maintain this important flow of communication.

04/03/2026

03/31/2026

On Transgender Day of Visibility, we want to honor three important trans figures with immense respect and gratitude for their contributions to our society.

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (1940–2025) was a pioneering Black transgender activist, Stonewall Riots survivor, and elder who fought for over 50 years for the trans community, focusing on those targeted by incarceration and police brutality. She served as a "mother" to generations, focusing on advocacy for transgender women of color, especially those in prison.

Dr. Rachel Levine is a groundbreaking American pediatrician and public health expert who served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health (2021–2025) and a four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. As the first openly transgender official confirmed by the Senate, she focused on health equity, COVID-19 response, the opioid crisis, and LGBTQI+ care.

Chase Strangio is a prominent transgender rights attorney and co-director for transgender justice at the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. A leading expert in LGBTQ+ legal advocacy, he became the first openly transgender person to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024, challenging bans on gender-affirming care.

We also want to honor the 2.8 million* trans people across the country who are not public figures, but exemplify bravery and grit and grace living their truths every day of their lives. We must continue to fight back, arm-in-arm, against the lies and hatred directed at the trans community until we are all free.🏳️‍⚧️

*Williams Institute - https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/

03/24/2026

Free rapid HIV & Hepatitis C testing is available Monday–Friday, 9 AM–4 PM. Knowing your status is one of the best ways to help prevent HIV and Hep C.

03/19/2026

Walk-ins welcome—results in minutes. Confidential and judgment-free.

Free rapid HIV & Hepatitis C testing is available Monday–Friday, 9 AM–4 PM. Knowing your status is one of the best ways to help prevent HIV and Hep C.