The family in contemporary America may be defined as a group of individuals who by birth, adoption, marriage, or declared commitment share deep personal connections and are mutually entitled to receive, and obligated to provide, support of various kinds. As more people live in nontraditional arrangements, the gap between their needs and interests and official designations of family widens; AIDS has accelerated this change, affecting legal definitions, medical decisions, and questions of housing and child custody. While existing families adjust to the exigencies of AIDS, changing laws and customs may also affect the formation of new families. The epidemic threatens the intimacy and acceptance that ideally bind family ties, while at the same time reinforcing their necessity.