Non-cohabiting Partner Research Articles

Exploring the impacts of COVID‐19 on births in Italy, 2020−2022

AbstractDuring the different phases of the COVID‐19 pandemic, conception trends in developed countries varied in profoundly different ways. Scholars have proposed a variety of explanations for these differences, often related to the particular socioeconomic context and social groups of a given nation, highlighting the need for country‐specific, in‐depth analyses. Italy was one of the countries where the number of conceptions resulting in a birth significantly decreased during the first wave of COVID‐19 (March‐May 2020) and again during April‐August 2021. Italy also stands out for its great internal diversity, especially in the first wave of the pandemic. As individual data are not available, fully analysing all the possible causes of the variations in conceptions that occurred in Italy during the pandemic is not possible. However, using national monthly series on deaths, births, and induced abortions by age of mother, contraceptives' sales, and monthly data on births and deaths in the 107 provinces, we explore some Italian peculiarities. We speculate about the plausibility of some interpretations of the monthly fluctuations in conceptions and contraceptive sales, in particular on the effect of the forced separation between noncohabiting partners during the different types of lockdown and on the uncertainty that may have affected couples in the areas hardest hit by Covid‐19 and during the first part of 2021.

Love in the time of COVID-19: How couples stayed ‘at home’ during the first lockdown in Italy

ABSTRACT How did the initial COVID-19 lockdown affect family life in terms of household chores, childcare, finances, communication, sexuality and other spheres of a romantic relationship? How do these issues differ based on whether the couple is in a long-distance relationship, dating but not living together, or is married or cohabitating, with or without children? Drawing on a virtual ethnography of Italian social-media communities, sixteen follow-up online interviews with eight adult couples and a discussion of their ‘Corona diaries’, this contribution extends a practice-based approach to focus on couples’ experiences, feelings and coping strategies during the COVID-19 lockdown temporalities of Spring 2020 in Italy. Forced self-isolation eroded feelings of ontological safety, making especially non-cohabiting partners feel even more vulnerable to the stress of contagion risk and loneliness. This phenomenon in some cases even de-romanticized the relationship to avoid feeling the lack of the partner. On the contrary, cohabiting couples revealed a discomfort linked to ‘domestic gravity’ and daily crowding, or the difficulty of safeguarding small moments of solitude. Conflicts were particularly exacerbated when partners had to reconcile agile work, childcare and domestic work. Working mothers with young children are among those most affected by the increased workload and resulting frustration.

Panorama of risky sexual behaviors in the Brazilian adult population - PNS 2019.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To describe the risky sexual behaviors of Brazilian adults according to socioeconomic, demographic, and regional characteristics.METHODS Data from the 2019 National Health Survey, referring to the population aged 18 years or older, were analyzed. Risky sexual behaviors were considered: early sexual initiation, before the age of 15 years, and nonuse of condoms in the last sexual intercourse. Prevalence and respective confidence intervals were calculated for the subgroups of interest.RESULTS Early sexual initiation among adult individuals was 24% among men and 11% among women, being higher among young people with lower levels of education and household income. The nonuse of condoms was higher among married/cohabiting partners, no schooling or with some elementary school, and among older people. The prevalence of nonuse of condoms among married/cohabiting partners was the same in both sexes (75%). However, among non-cohabiting partners, gender disparity was relevant, as 39.1% of women did not use condoms in the last sexual intercourse, while among men this result was 26.9%.CONCLUSIONS Higher prevalence of early sexual initiation for younger generations is noteworthy, especially among women. Concerning the nonuse of condoms, there are important gender disparities in the group of non-cohabiting partners, in addition to the high prevalence among older people, which should be considered in the formulation of public policies. The results of the present study are extremely relevant for understanding the adult population currently more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, after over five years without official statistics on this matter at the national level.

Making publics in a pandemic: Posthuman relationalities, ‘viral' intimacies and COVID-19

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has placed sexual relationships into sharp focus as strict containment measures, including physical distancing and ‘stay at home’ restrictions, were initiated to control the spread of the virus. Governments in some jurisdictions prevented contact between non-cohabiting sexual partners (except for couples in pre-existing relationships), while community organisations recommended people avoid casual sexual encounters. This article analyses Australian media articles, commentary and public health messages published during March to October 2020 to explore the normative assumptions underpinning these measures. Applying posthumanist perspectives and Warner’s (2002) conceptualisation of ‘publics’, we consider how COVID-19 public health advice enacts the (human) subject of public health as monogamous, coupled, and living with their partner or nuclear family. Those in non-normative relationships and households are not only excluded from this narrow enactment of the ‘ideal’ public health subject, but are rendered potentially risky disease vectors by virtue of their alternative kinship arrangements. We explore the implications of these findings for the more-than-human relationalities that shape health inequalities and processes of marginalisation during public health crises, and we offer suggestions for public health measures that address the needs of diverse ‘publics’.

Consensually nonmonogamous parent relationships during COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents in consensually nonmonogamous (CNM) relationships navigated public health directives to social distance and avoid contact between households. Many parents practicing CNM share romantic, sexual, and coparenting relationships across households, and the pandemic introduced challenges and opportunities for innovation in maintaining connection. This qualitative study sought to explore the experiences, challenges, and adaptations of CNM parents, using survey and interview data from 70 US parents collected between May and December 2020. Thematic analysis highlighted that many parents spent less time with non-cohabiting partners and more time with cohabiting partners and children, but also adapted via creative strategies such as incorporating partners into a quarantine pod, inviting partners to move in, or connecting over technology. These data illuminate the diverse ways that CNM parents engaged in and “queered” family and partner relationships during the pandemic.

Touch me please—when this enhanced community quarantine is over: sexual intimacies among pre-marital partners during pandemic-induced lockdown

The study aims to examine the experiences of pre-marital, non-cohabiting partners while coping with the Covid-19-induced lockdown. With specific focus on sexual intimacies, our interest is to investigate the degree or extent by which the pandemic has constrained people’s sexual interests and expressions with the intention to determine whether or not the overall relationship would be negatively affected by the paucity of sexual encounters. Findings drawn from online interviews involving 28 participants reveal that the pandemic has indeed affected sexual intimacy aspirations among partners, with some participants calling these times as “dry season.” For this very reason, the pandemic has also emerged as a sexual issue. Further results reveal that partners employ technology-based strategies in order to satisfy their sexual desires during these times when restrictions in movement are in place. Trust, love, communication and understanding serve also to assure partners of the integrity of the relationship. The study suggests that the loss of physical sexual encounters during lockdowns is not sufficient to result in negative relationship outcomes.

Evaluation of the Obulamu? integrated health communication campaign in Uganda: results from a repeated cross-sectional household survey

ABSTRACT Introduction Uganda’s Obulamu? campaign delivered messages relevant to life stage to address evolving health needs of audiences at times they were likely to change behaviors. We estimated Obulamu?’s effects on HIV/AIDS, family planning, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, malaria, and nutrition behavioral outcomes. Methods We conducted repeated cross-sectional household surveys with women, men, and children’s caregivers in 2015 and 2017 in 16 districts using multi-stage probability sampling weighted by population. Eleven pre-specified outcomes were evaluated in multivariable weighted regression models. Results Survey 1 included 2,377 households with 4,012 individuals and survey 2 included 2,398 households with 3,563 individuals. After controlling for time and potentially confounding factors, we observed notable increases among people exposed to topic-specific messages in condom use with at least one non-marital, non-cohabiting partner in the last six months; recent male circumcision; seeking tuberculosis screening/testing for self; seeking tuberculosis screening/testing for child; delivery of baby in a facility; and caregiver seeking advice or treatment for child under five years with fever. Exposure did not appear to influence knowledge of antiretroviral therapy, delay sexual debut, breastfeeding infants and all of the household’s pregnant women/children less than five years sleeping under a net the night before the survey. Conclusion Exposure to topic-specific messages was associated with improvements in six of the eleven outcomes. Across the health priority areas, we observed improvements in select HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health outcomes. We did not observe effects of exposure on select outcomes in the areas of family planning, malaria, or nutrition.

Family changes and residential mobility among immigrant and native-born populations: Evidence from Swiss administrative data

Background: Much of the literature on immigrant relocation has focused on human and social capital and has often ignored the role of life-course events as triggers of internal migration and residential mobility. We know that family transitions are closely tied to residential relocation, but the extent to which they might explain differential mobility patterns among immigrant and native-born populations is still largely unknown. Objective: Using Swiss administrative registers and a nationally representative survey, we apply discrete-time logistic models to assess whether residential mobility responses to family changes differ between immigrant and native-born populations. We highlight various patterns of housing adjustment at times of childbirth, marriage (among cohabiting and non-cohabiting partners), and divorce. We also investigate the factors accounting for the differences between foreign- and native-born groups. Contribution: The results suggest that residential mobility increases at times of childbirth, marriage, and divorce for both native- and foreign-born populations living in Switzerland. The results also suggest that the timing and intensity of residential changes in response to (or in anticipation of) family transitions differ across groups according to their birthplace. Compared to native-born residents, immigrants prove to be more residentially mobile at the time of marriage, owing to specific pre-marital cohabitation behaviours, but less residentially mobile at the time of childbirth, an event inherently linked to housing improvement. Household income was identified as an important mitigating factor within the joint processes of family changes and residential mobility. We argue that linking residential mobility to life-course events and statuses can serve as an alternative, dynamic marker of residential integration, preferences, and housing disadvantage among immigrant populations

Intimate Partner Violence Dynamics and Help Seeking Among Mexican Women: Results From a 2016 National Household Survey.

Using the recent 2016 National Survey on Household Dynamics (N = 98,768 heterosexual Mexican women currently married, cohabiting, separated, divorced, or dating with a noncohabiting partner), this study has three objectives: first, to assess the prevalence of different intimate partner violence (IPV) dynamics, including situational couple's violence (SCV), intimate terrorism (IT), and violent resistance (VR); second, to empirically operationalize VR; and, third, to study women's help-seeking behaviors in public institutions, whether these are associated with violent dynamics and the type of responses offered by public institutions. Descriptive and multivariate logistic analyses show that, in the year prior to the survey, 5.8% of women experienced SCV, 1.2% IT and 0.6% VR. SCV is the most prevalent, but separated and divorced women are involved in IT and VR to a greater extent. Only 8.3% of females involved in IPV sought formal help from public institutions. Help seeking from public institutions is contingent upon violent dynamics and sociodemographic characteristics. Law enforcement and public security institutions fail to accept all IPV complaints and investigate them (especially in the case of VR), perhaps because women who seek help do not meet the social representation of battered women. The need to educate civil servants and service providers on the different dynamics of IPV, and recommendations for guaranteeing women greater access to public institutions that might be instrumental in putting an end to the violence are discussed in the Mexican context.

HIV prevalence correlated with circumcision prevalence and high-risk sexual behavior in India's states: an ecological study.

Background: HIV prevalence varies between 0% and 1.6% in India's states. The factors underpinning this variation are poorly defined. Methods: We evaluated the relationship between HIV prevalence by state and a range of risk factors in the Indian 2015 National Family Health Survey. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between HIV prevalence and each variable. The prevalence of each risk factor was compared between five high-HIV-prevalence states (>1% prevalence) and a large low-HIV-prevalence state (Uttar Pradesh; HIV prevalence, 0.06%). Results: There was an association between HIV prevalence and men's mean lifetime number of partners (r = 0.55; P = 0.001) and men reporting sex with a non-married, non-cohabiting partner (r = 0.40; P = 0.014). In general, men in high-prevalence states were less likely to be circumcised and (with the exception of Chandigarh) use condoms at last sex. In two high prevalence states (Mizoram and Nagaland), men reported a higher number of lifetime partners and a higher prevalence of multiple partners and high-risk sex in the past year. Conclusions: Variation in circumcision prevalence and sexual behavior may contribute to the large variations in HIV prevalence by state in India.

HIV prevalence correlated with circumcision prevalence and high-risk sexual behavior in India's states: an ecological study

Background: HIV prevalence varies between 0% and 1.6% in India's states. The factors underpinning this variation are poorly defined. Methods: We evaluated the relationship between HIV prevalence by state and a range of risk factors in the Indian 2015 National Family Health Survey. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between HIV prevalence and each variable. The prevalence of each risk factor was compared between five high-HIV-prevalence states (>1% prevalence) and a large low-HIV-prevalence state (Uttar Pradesh; HIV prevalence, 0.06%). Results: There was an association between HIV prevalence and men's mean lifetime number of partners (r = 0.55; P = 0.001) and men reporting sex with a non-married, non-cohabiting partner (r = 0.40; P = 0.014). In general, men in high-prevalence states were less likely to be circumcised and (with the exception of Chandigarh) use condoms at last sex. In two high prevalence states (Mizoram and Nagaland), men reported a higher number of lifetime partners and a higher prevalence of multiple partners and high-risk sex in the past year. Conclusions: Variation in circumcision prevalence and sexual behavior may contribute to the large variations in HIV prevalence by state in India.

Traditional Male Circumcision is Associated with Sexual Risk Behaviors in Sub-Saharan Countries Prioritized for Male Circumcision.

To understand the sexual risk behavior of men with traditional male circumcision and medical male circumcision in the context of the World Health Organization's (WHO) campaign for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up, we investigated ten countries prioritized for the scale-up from the Demographic and Health Surveys. Male respondents aged 15-49 were selected. Ordinal regression was used to analyze the relationship between three sexual risk behaviors-condom use with non-cohabiting partners, number of non-cohabiting partners, and partner type-and circumcision status (traditionally circumcised before and after the VMMC scale-up, medically circumcised before and after the scale-up, and not circumcised), while controlling for social demographic covariates. We found evidence that some sexual risky behavior, specifically lower condom use and higher number of sexual partners, was associated with traditional circumcision. This finding suggests that messages about the protective effect of male circumcision may not have reached men with traditional circumcision. We suggest that WHO's VMMC campaign should include communities where traditional male circumcision is popular. We looked for, but did not find, evidence of differences between groups circumcised at different times, which could have indicated sexual risk compensation.

Hepatitis B Infection: A Mixed Methods of Disclosure Pattern and Social Problems in the Nigerian Family.

Background:Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has a high prevalence rate in Nigeria. Disclosure of infection status to close partner and the public attracts support for infected people. This study looks at disclosure and social challenges of infected persons.Methods:Mixed methods of patients’ administered questionnaire and an in-depth interview conducted on HBV-infected respondents in a hospital in Nigeria were used. The study recruited all participants who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Data were entered into SPSS version 20 and analyzed using simple and inferential statistics and content analysis for the in-depth interview.Results:A total of 205 participants completed the questionnaire study. Mean (standard deviation) age was 35.3 (±11.0) years. There were 121 married, 37 singles with noncohabiting partners and 47 singles without partners with disclosure rates being 96.7% versus 97.9% versus 89.2%, respectively. Singles disclosed infection more to their parents while married respondents disclosed infection more to their spouses. Singles had high rate of denial of sexual relationship (22.6%), emotional trauma (34.5%), broken relationships (11.4%), and surreptitious use of contraception for protection (67.6%). Married respondents had the highest rate of HBV vaccination of their family members (40.1%). Infection prevention and allaying fears of family members were their counseling needs. In-depth interview revealed that infected respondents usually expressed shock and depression at a positive test leading to fear and deception that put close associates at risk.Conclusion:Hepatitis B virus–infected respondents have high rate of disclosure. Family problems of these people can therefore be solved through public enlightenment and individual counseling.

HIV prevalence correlated with circumcision prevalence and high-risk sexual behavior in India's states: an ecological study

Background: HIV prevalence varies between 0% and 1.6% in India's states. The factors underpinning this variation are poorly defined. Methods: We evaluated the relationship between HIV prevalence by state and a range of risk factors in the Indian 2015 National Family Health Survey. Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the relationship between HIV prevalence and each variable. The prevalence of each risk factor was compared between five high-HIV-prevalence states (>1% prevalence) and a large low-HIV-prevalence state (Uttar Pradesh; HIV prevalence, 0.06%). Results: There was an association between HIV prevalence and men's mean lifetime number of partners (r = 0.55; P = 0.001) and men reporting sex with a non-married, non-cohabiting partner (r = 0.40; P = 0.014). In general, men in high-prevalence states were less likely to be circumcised and (with the exception of Chandigarh) use condoms at last sex. In two high prevalence states (Mizoram and Nagaland), men reported a higher number of lifetime partners and a higher prevalence of multiple partners and high-risk sex in the past year. Conclusions: Variation in circumcision prevalence and sexual behavior may contribute to the large variations in HIV prevalence by state in India.

Sexual Behaviors of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Pregnant Women and Factors Associated With Sexually Transmitted Infection in South Africa.

Sexual behaviors in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women in South Africa are not well understood. Human immunodeficiency virus-infected pregnant women were recruited into a prospective cohort at first antenatal care visit. Sociodemographic information and self-collected vulvovaginal swab samples were collected from participants. Vulvovaginal swab samples were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoea, and Trichomonas vaginalis using GeneXpert. We investigated sexual behaviors, alcohol use, factors associated with condomless sex during pregnancy, and prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI) among our cohort. We report descriptive, univariate and multivariable logistic regression results of sexual behaviors and alcohol use, factors associated with condomless sex at last sex, and having any STI during pregnancy adjusting for a priori confounders. We recruited and enrolled 430 HIV-infected pregnant women. Median age was 30 years; median gestational age was 20 weeks. Eighty-nine percent of women reported sex during pregnancy. At last sex, 68% reported condomless sex; 18% reported having more than 1 sex partner in the past 12 months. Adjusting for age, income and relationship status, condom use at last sex was associated with prior knowledge of HIV status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-3.92) and being in a concordant HIV-positive (aOR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.84-5.50), or serodiscordant relationship (aOR, 6.50; 95% CI, 3.59-11.80). The prevalence of any STI was 41% (95% CI, 36%-45%). Adjusting for mothers' age and employment, odds of having an STI increased if the woman reported alcohol use during pregnancy (aOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.06-3.64) or if the father of the child was a non-cohabiting or casual partner (aOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.97-2.03). Almost all HIV-infected pregnant women were sexually active during pregnancy and most women reported condomless sex at last sex. Condom use was associated with knowledge of serostatus and/or partner's serostatus before first antenatal care visit. Factors associated with having STIs included: alcohol use during pregnancy and father of child being a non-cohabiting partner.

Consistent Condom Use by Married and Cohabiting Female Sex Workers in India: Investigating Relational Norms with Commercial Versus Intimate Partners.

This study examines determinants of consistent condom use (CCU) among married and cohabiting female sex workers (FSW) in India. Although CCU with clients is normative in the study area, most FSW do not consistently use condoms with intimate partners. Multiple logistic regression models indicated that condom use with intimate partners was associated with relationship status, cohabitation, HIV knowledge, STI symptoms, and being offered more money for sex without a condom by clients. Additionally, more days of sex work in the last week, serving as a peer educator, and participating in community mobilization activities were associated with higher odds of CCU across all partner types. Although improving economic security may increase CCU with clients, mobilization to reduce stigma and promote disclosure of sex work to non-cohabiting partners may be necessary to increase CCU overall.

Event-based analysis of the association between alcohol use and unsafe sex in seven sub-Saharan African countries

Aims: To examine the association between alcohol consumption at last sex and unsafe sex in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa.Design: Multivariable logistic regression of unsafe sex was performed using cross-sectional data with a stratified sample design from seven countries.Setting: The study uses data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of Lesotho, Kenya, Mozambique, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.Participants: Men and women age 15–49 years with data available on alcohol consumption and who have had sex in the last 12 months were included in the analysis.Measures: The main independent variable is alcohol consumption at last sex with a non-cohabiting partner.Findings: The analysis has shown that alcohol consumption was a strong predictor of unsafe sex for all surveys except for women in Kenya. Age and number of sexual partners were also strong predictors of unsafe sex.Conclusions: The findings indicate that there is a positive link between alcohol consumption and unsafe sex in all countries except for Kenya among women. The inconsistent finding in Kenya requires further study. One of the main limitations of the analysis is the low number of observations found for women and men who reported drinking at last sex with a non-cohabiting partner.

Evidence that promotion of male circumcision did not lead to sexual risk compensation in prioritized Sub-Saharan countries.

BackgroundWHO and UNAIDS prioritized 14 eastern and southern African countries with high HIV and low male circumcision prevalence for a voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up in 2007. Because circumcision provides only partial protection against HIV infection to men, the issue of possible risk compensation in response to VMMC campaigns is of particular concern. In this study, we looked at population-level survey data from the countries prioritized by WHO for a VMMC scale-up. We compared the difference in sexual risk behaviours (SRB) between circumcised and uncircumcised men before and after the WHO’s official VMMC promotion.Materials and methodsTen countries (Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) participating in the WHO’s VMMC scale-up had available data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). We used cumulative-link mixed models to investigate interactions between survey period and circumcision status in predicting SRB, in order to evaluate whether the difference between the behavior of the two groups changed before and after the scale-up, while controlling for socio-demographic and knowledge-related covariates. The main responses were condom use at last sex and number of non-cohabiting sexual partners, both in the last 12 months.ResultsThere was little change in condom use by circumcised men relative to uncircumcised men from before the VMMC scale up to after the scale up. The relative odds ratio is 1.06 (95% CI, 0.95–1.18; interaction P = 0.310). Similarly, there was little change in the number of non-cohabiting partners in circumcised men (relative to uncircumcised men): the relative odds ratio of increasing the number of partners is 0.95 (95% CI, 0.86–1.05; interaction P = 0.319). Age, religion, education, job, marital status, media use and HIV knowledge also showed statistically significant association with the studied risk behaviours. We also found significant differences among countries, while controlling for covariates.ConclusionsOverall, we find no evidence of sexual risk compensation in response to VMMC campaigns in countries prioritized by WHO. Changes in relative partner behaviour and the relative odds of condom use were small (and of uncertain sign). In fact, our estimates, though not significant, both suggest slightly less risky behavior. We conclude that sexual risk compensation in response to VMMC campaigns has not been a serious problem to date, but urge continued attention to local context, and to promulgating accurate messages about circumcision within and beyond the VMMC context.

Males' Ability to Report Their Partner's Contraceptive Use at Last Sex in a Nationally Representative Sample: Implications for Unintended Pregnancy Prevention Evaluations.

Addressing and enabling the role of males in contraceptive choices may facilitate efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy rates and disparities in the United States, but little is known about males’ ability to report their partners’ contraceptive use. Data from the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth from 2,238 males aged 15 to 44 years who had vaginal sex with a noncohabiting or nonmarital partner and were not seeking pregnancy were examined to tabulate the proportion of males able to report whether their partner used a specific contraceptive method use at last sex (PCM) by sociodemographic and sexual history characteristics. Logistic regression was used to assess odds of being unable to report PCM, adjusting for age and sexual history factors. Most (95.0%) were able to report PCM, with no difference by age group (chi-square = 7.27, p = .281) in unadjusted analyses. Males with a new sex partner (14.8% of the sample), compared with those with an established sex partner, had significantly higher odds of being unable to report PCM in bivariate (11.7% vs. 3.7%, chi-square = 39.39, p < .001) and multivariable (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.17, 95% confidence interval [CI: 1.74, 5.65]) analyses. Those whose last sexual encounter was more than 3 months ago also had higher odds of being unable to report in bivariate (OR: 1.74, 95% CI [1.05, 2.87]) and multivariable analyses (AOR: 2.04, 95% CI [1.04, 4.03]). Most men were able report PCM, but reporting was significantly lower among men with new sex partners. To inform future research and evaluation relying on male report, validation studies comparing male report with partner report, specifically among new couples, are needed.

Constructions, reconstructions and deconstructions of 'family' amongst people who live apart together (LATs).

This article explores how people who live apart from their partners in Britain describe and understand 'family'. It investigates whether, and how far, non-cohabiting partners, friends, 'blood' and legal ties are seen as 'family', and how practices of care and support, and feelings of closeness are related to these constructions. It suggests that people in LAT relationships creatively draw and re-draw the boundaries of family belonging in ways that involve emotionally subjective understandings of family life, and that also refer to normative constructions of what 'family' ought to be, as well as to practical recognitions of lived family 'realities'. This often involves handling uncertainties about what constitutes 'family'.