Content analysis revealed caring for family, particularly the children, to be critically important to these Hispanic women. Threats to their role as provider included the situational factors of potential loss of health, drug addiction, no social support, lack of information about the potential threat of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and poverty. Drug-abusing women considered addiction to be their most serious situational factor. Also a threat to their provider role were the personality factors of low self-esteem, helplessness, and loss of control, which these Hispanic women identified as common experiences. The coping style of those interviewed was predominantly emotion-focused, namely, praying to God, drug use, and withdrawal through daydreaming. Their selective problem-focused strategies included discussing the problem with others, obtaining more information, and trying to control their lives. Nurses can pave the way to developing and implementing AIDS education programs by recognizing the needs of women at risk and coordinating with community agencies to provide referrals, food and shelter, job training, and financial assistance. 27 references.