Patients consecutively referred for sterilization were examined at the time of referral, two months and one year after operation. Twenty-five per cent of the sample were identified as psychiatric cases at the time of referral, and rates of disturbance were even higher in some subgroups of women. The rate of disturbance fell in all these groups by one year after operation. New psychiatric disturbance following sterilization was similar in amount to that found in the community and was not related to any groups of women said in the literature to be at risk apart from those divorced or separated at the time of referral. Many experienced improvement in their marital and sexual relationships and only 3 per cent expressed feelings of regret.