The myriad of impacts of HIV/AIDS on poor people is increasingly well documented.Poverty research from many different disciplines and sectors has contributed to a growing understanding of the current and potential future impacts of the epidemic. The main outcome of this improved understanding is recognition, on the parts of governments, donors and civil society, of the need to take action in order to mitigate the growing vulnerability and poverty effects of the epidemic. Through a review of current understandings of the impact of HIV/AIDS and a brief analysis of emerging new perspectives on social protection, this paper demonstrates why it is important for policymakers and practitioners to explore the implications of HIV/AIDS for social protection.