The practices of mothering in caregiving an adult son with AIDS

One invisible and silent phenomenon associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is the return of mothers to care for their adult sons who are dying of the disease. This article presents an emergent fit of data from an interpretative study with 14 such mothers into Leonard's practices of mothering framework. Conceptualizing mothering as a practice rather than a technical skill provides a context for understanding nurture and care. The mothers' stories reveal moral content of mothering that is centrally important to cultural life, as well as implications for nursing practice.