PIP: Women who had tubal ligations were compared with fertile women whose husbands had undergone vasectomies and with women who were in relationships where both husband and wife remained fertile in order to examine differences among the 3 groups in terms of preoperation characteristics and postoperative attitudes and adjustments. 108 mothers between the ages of 35 and 45 years were studied. The women were white Protestants and generally of middle to lower class according to Hollingshead's Index. Extensive demographic information was obtained including presurgical intervention data relating to childbearing history. Postsurgical data included social adjustment, attitudes toward birth control scale, and attitudes toward sex, family, parent, abortion, and birth control. The 3 groups were compared by analysis of variance and covariance (for social class) to determine differences in background, attitudes, and behaviors. Of the 108 mothers, 23% had undergone tubal ligation, 15% had husbands who had chosen vasectomy, and 62% had no surgical intervention. There were no differences among the 3 groups on background variables or self-perception of health. Women in the tubal ligation group were from the lowest social class, and they also reported a desire for more children than either of the 2 remaining groups. The tubal ligation group was significantly more negative in their attitudes on both the Semantic Differential and Thurstone's Attitude Toward Birth Control Scale. Controlling for social class did not change the level of significance for these findings.