Saldana demonstrates the simple mouth swab test

NEWBURGH – To mark National HIV Testing Day, the Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center Thursday conducted a free testing clinic, distributed literature and held an annual day of entertainment, music, food, and poetry readings.

Center HIV-AIDS Services Director Carolyn Saldana said AIDS is no longer an automatic death sentence.

“I think it has moved from a time where it was considered a terminal illness and now it’s really a chronically manageable illness,” she said. “We have a ton of medications and now there has been a shift. Back in the 90s, we had medication where folks were talking 15 pills a day to manage their illness. Now they are taking just one pill a day. That is incredible. We have come a long way.”

Saldana said persons should have an HIV-AIDS test as part of their annual checkups.

The Westchester County Health Department, in conjunction with the members of Project W.A.V.E., a coalition of partner organizations that includes health departments, HVI and AIDS services providers and media outlets, will mark HIV testing day today and Saturday.