The purpose of this paper is to analyze some of the linkages between HIV/AIDS, gender and household food security in rural Africa. To date, the majority of extant studies on rural HIV/AIDS have focused on the socio-economic impact of the epidemic on the family and household economy as a whole, without distinguishing in detail how men and women are affected and how male/female morbidity and mortality affect food and livelihood security. The paper puts into sharp focus some of the effects of HIV/AIDS on rural women as food producers, custodians of household food security and heads of household. The objective is to help identify key areas of research, particularly in terms of needs, gaps and priorities so as to address the HIV/AIDS dimension of the interface between women's reproductive health and household food security.