This article discusses the sex-specific pattern of attempted suicide. Women attempt suicide much more frequently than men, & studies show that this may be due to the use of less lethal methods, like poisoning. These methods require time to work, & therefore leave time for rescue. Of 232 cases of attempted suicide at a New York hospital, 178 (76.7%) were women & most attempted by overdose with barbituates. There was a concentration of attemptors from the age group 21-30 among women. (VM)