Journal of forensic and legal medicine
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Intimate partner violence is an important worldwide problem. In general, men are considered perpetrators of this type of violence, but they can also be victims. The experience of men as victims of intimate partner violence is not yet described and characterized in Portugal. The aim of this study is to contribute to characterize this phenomenon to better understand it, including the temporary and permanent physical harm to men's health, in a medico-legal and forensic perspective. ⋯ The reported cases of intimate partner violence against men represent 11.5% of the total of these cases observed in the medico-legal services of Porto. This number may be bigger because men tend to underreport and hide this kind of victimization, and also because injuries usually are mild (women perpetrate psychological abuse and minor acts of physical violence). Male victims may benefit from preventive and informative public policy campaigns.