History of domestic violence among male patients presenting to an urban emergency department

Objective: To establish the prevalence of domestic violence committed by wo men against male patients presenting to an urban ED for any reason. Methods : This was a prospective survey in which male patients of legal age present ing to the ED over a 13-week period were interviewed. Patients answered a s eries of six questions adapted from the George Washington University Univer sal Violence Prevention Screening Protocol. Patients who could not speak En glish, those refusing to participate,those unable to give informed consent, and those meeting regional criteria for major trauma were excluded. Result s: Of 866 male patients interviewed, 109 (12.6%) had been the victims of do mestic violence committed by a female intimate partner within the preceding year. Victims were more likely to be younger, single, African American, an d uninsured. The most common forms of assault were slapping, grabbing, and shoving (60.6% of victims). These were followed by choking, kicking, biting , and punching (48.6%), or throwing an object at the victim (46.8%). Thirty -seven percent of cases involved a weapon. Seven percent of victims describ ed being forced to have sex. Nineteen percent of victims contacted the poli ce; 14% required medical attention; 11% pressed charges or sought a restrai ning order; and 6% pursued follow-up counseling. Conclusions: Almost 13% of men in this sample population had been victims of domestic violence commit ted by a female intimate partner within the previous year. Further attentio n to the recognition and management of domestic violence committed by women against men may be warranted.