ABSTRACT
Families occur in many different configurations beyond the traditional nuclear family, composed of a husband, wife, and children, and the extended family, which may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and others. Changing social conditions and lifestyles have prompted a redefinition of family to include households led by single parents or by grandparents, cohabitating opposite-sex and same-sex couples, and “chosen families” who are biologically and legally unrelated but linked by ties of affection and commitment. All families affected by HIV/AIDS, regardless of their configuration, face multiple serious challenges.
