As a nationally recognized speaker, Elaine has combined her life experiences, enthusiasm, and passion to positively influence students across the United States. Her degree in dental hygiene, along with her sixteen years of work in the dental field have provided Elaine with an extensive medical background, and a thorough understanding of the technical aspects of HIV/AIDS, and health and well-being. She is a past faculty member of the New Jersey AIDS Education and Training Center, and has served as a member of the Pennsylvania HIV Prevention Community Planning Committee.

Since 1996 Elaine has addressed thousands at colleges and universities across the United States about high-risk behaviors, such as high risk drinking, sexual assault and sexual responsibility. Her goal is to provide personal empowerment to students to make healthy choices. In addition to her rigorous college lecture schedule she is president of Project Prevent, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide AIDS education to elementary through secondary school students and to parents.

In 2006, Elaine’s passion for reaching out and helping students understand the consequences of high-risk behaviors took another turn as she co-wrote, produced and directed a public service video about the dangers of date rape drugs. Working with a friend and 15 high school students, including her son Evan, they produced the video Be Aware of the Risks of Date Rape Drugs. It was posted on YouTube in February of 2007 and within the first six months it had 160,000 hits from all over the world.

Elaine has been featured in USA Today, Knight Ridder News Service and Time Warner Cable TV. She has also been a keynote speaker for the NCAA and been instrumental in organizing events for AIDS awareness programming for the James A Michener Art Museum involving national political figures.

Elaine resides in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with her husband Jeff and teenage sons Evan and David.

ELAINE"S PROGRAMS:

Sex and Excess: Surviving the Party is a high energy, interactive program about the choices we make, particularly the choice to engage in high-risk behaviors. This program looks at  behaviors such as high risk drinking, drug use, and unprotected sexual activity, and the negative consequences they have one’s life. Elaine discusses the effects of alcohol abuse on college performance, as well as increased violence, deaths, physical injuries, DUI's, and sex under the influence. She effectively connects date rape to alcohol abuse and warns students about the use of date rape drugs at parties. The spread of sexually transmitted diseases are covered through role-playing and interactive exercises that get students out of their seats and places them in real-life situations.

There are open discussions about why we choose to engage in high-risk behaviors. What may appear to be an inconsequential decision may forever alter our lives, and our goals. Students learn to think with facts, rather than emotion and they realize that they need to assess the long-term consequences of their behavior. Through interactive exercises Elaine’s audiences learn how to empower themselves to hold their ground, to communicate effectively with their peers, and to make their goals a priority. Elaine challenges her audiences to confront their own behavior choices and to learn to party responsibly and with respect for one another. This dynamic and entertaining program allows students to discover the balance of being healthy and productive and to still have fun!

Living and Loving in a World with AIDS is a powerful interactive program about HIV/AIDS today. Elaine Pasqua's message about AIDS, safe sex, and behavior choices presents a wake up call to young adults in an era of not so safe sex and binge drinking.

Elaine witnessed the ravages of HIV/AIDS as she watched her mother and stepfather lose their dignity, independence, and ultimately their lives to this deadly virus. She experienced first hand how the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS forces those who are infected to retreat in secrecy and shame for fear of being shunned.

Living and Loving in a World with AIDS reveals the faces behind the AIDS epidemic. A passionate and engaging storyteller, audiences are riveted as Elaine shares her family’s story, as well as those of others. Her talent lies in telling a compelling story, while lacing it with technical information about this global pandemic. She captivates audiences with role- playing exercises and hands on activities, which powerfully demonstrate the realities of HIV infection, making participants feel directly involved and emotionally engaged.

Elaine talks about the issues of self- respect, protection, as well as the dishonesty that can lead people to believe they are safe from this disease. Students come away with the understanding of the truly life and death importance of this topic. Her audiences eave this emotionally charged program with a greater sense of compassion for those who are infected with HIV/AIDS and are personally moved to take precautions and assume responsibility for their behavior choices.