The research has tried to make deep investigations into the consequences of thernHW / AIDS epidemic on the lives of women in Nekemte, Ea t Wellega. The studyrnhas mainly fo cused on women and tried to explore their coping mechani ms withrnthe disease. The data for the research has been gather d mainly through thernfield work and all the pertinent anthropological research methods have beenrnapplied. Observations of p eople living with the viru s, mainly women, were madernat various p laces: in Nekemte Hospital, at OSSA, and at their residential areas.rnGroup discuss ions of the individuals were conducted to analyze I heir reactions.rnFurther, detailed interviews were made with most of the infolmant to know morernabout their perception of the virus and to comprehend th causes of their HJVrncontraction.rnThe case of women in our country in this regard can not be an exception to thernturmoil in general. Further, the features of HW contraction in the study arearnshows that the area now stands above all others in its [-[IV contraction ratesrnwhen compared with the remaining major towns in Oromia. 1 esides, women inrnthe area whether they are married, divorced, widowed or separated are not onrnthe safe side because of the economic, social, political and biological factorsrnunder which they li ve. From the analyses of the cases, it has been found out thatrnthe virus is serious ly ravaging the area at an alanning rate. The other usefulrnpoint to be mentioned from the research is the fact thai the fight against thernepidemic is at its infancy and that a lot more is needed to edu cate the masses tornhelp them attain behavioral changes in this respect.rnIt has been found out that most of the women who were interviewed and are nowrnliving with the virus are engaged in having multiple sexual partners as a meansrnof securing the deteriorating living conditions. Because they live under harshrneconomic conditions, it has become a common place for them to practice unsafernmarnage and remarriages usually on temporary bas is . in these cases, thernmarnage is accomplished based on little or no intimacy between the couples.rnHence, it is obvious that such a marriage collapses sooner or late r.rnOn the other hand, when women and young girls realize that they are alreadyrninfected with the virus, they are more likely to escape to other areas where theyrnare given little or no attention than their male counterparts. Accordingly, exceptrnvery few of them, those women who were interviewed and many others who arernidentified as HIV positive came from other towns and villages in the vicinity.rnThese women and the young girls do not have the intention to vis it their pare ntsrnand relatives back in their villages, or see them in one way or another.rnUnder some ins tances, there are couples who make HIV test on their own, butrnhide their statuses from their partner. This situation has been found to be one ofrnthe most press ing issues for m dical personnel because they are obliged Lornrefrain from exposing one's HJV taLu if the patient doe not want to. 0, the fa ctrnthat such couples tend to cheat their (better) half has already proved a realrndifficulty for the success of the battle against the epidemic in the study area.rnThe research is organized in to six chapters . Chapter one introduce the worlcrnand gives highlights about the need to study HIV/ AIDS, the purpose for whichrnthe research has been conducted and the s ignificance of the research and thernmethods used in data collection. Chapter two is all about the re view of relevantrnliterature. In chapter three, the general backgrounds of the study area vis -D.-visrnits location, climate, culture, language and religions of the p eople in the area arernexamined. Besides, the various traditional marriage practices in the area ha uernbeen explored and their implications fo r HIV / AIDS have been analyzed. Thernplace of women in the midst of the AfDS pandemic has been found that womenrnare now number one victims of the virus especially in those countries were therns ocial status of women is generally low.rnThe remaining chapters, five and six, basically deal with the roles of institutionsrnin the fight against the epidemic in the area, and the analyses and findings of therncases. It has been realized that there are f ew government and non governme ntalrnorganizations in the area which deal with the issues of HJV / AID S.