These threats can be understood as a form of biographical disruption. The illness shaped the women’s experiences as mothers. One woman talked about her experience of giving birth: ‘Staff make it very...

These threats can be understood as a form of biographical disruption. The illness shaped the women’s experiences as mothers. One woman talked about her experience of giving birth: ‘Staff make it very clear that they have an opinion towards you . . . basically scum . . .’ It also changed how they related to other people. For example, this woman spoke about stepping back from a new relationship because of her worries about telling her new partner and his family about the HIV: ‘It’s hard to bring new.