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ABSTRACTAs the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) continues to rise, there is a growing need to understand how ASDs impact family life. This qualitative study explored the ways in which parenting a child with ASD impacts marriages. Using modified grounded theory, nine couples and one wife (n= 19) were interviewed. The dominant finding that emerged is that parenting a child with ASD acts as a crucible for couple relationships, exerting extraordinary pressure on partners that forces qualitative adaptations in their relationship. Two relationship phases emerged from the analysis: tag team and deeper intimacy and commitment. The resulting theoretical model can help clinicians tailor assessment and intervention for couples who are parenting a child with ASD.

This article provides suggestions for supporting the marriages of couples who adopt children from the child welfare system. These suggestions emerged from qualitative data obtained from 22 spouses in 4 focus groups. Data reveal that couples want professionals to address the impact of adoption on the marital relationship prior to placement of children, to facilitate contact among adoptive couples that focuses on couple relationships in addition to parenting issues after children have been placed, and to actively support the marital relationship in postplacement/postadoption services even when children's behaviors or needs constitute the presenting problem. Taken together, results indicate that it is appropriate for a broad range of professionals to address the couple relationship throughout the adoption process.

Young Black women continue to be at high risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, little is known about the risks specifically to young Black women who primarily have sex with women (YWSW). As part of a larger sexual health project, in-depth qualitative interviews were completed with 14 Black women ages 16-24, who identified as lesbian. Using within and cross-case analysis, this article explores their consensual sexual debut experiences with both males and females. The most obvious indicator of risk was the almost universal lack of safer sex practices. Other risks include the context of the debuts including young ages of debut, lack of adult supervision, use of alcohol, and lack of agency in female debuts. The two motivations for debuting with males that may put young women at increased risk are intent to get pregnant and the need to "cover up" or "test" sexual attraction.