This study was a cross sectional study.

Ebonyi State in the South-east part of Nigeria was created on October 1, 1996. It is situated in the Guinea Savannah vegetation belt of Nigeria. The majority of inhabitants are either employed, subsistence farmers or petty traders. Literacy level is low while poverty is prevalent among her population who are mainly Christians. The health care delivery in the state is in three levels, namely, primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions, as well as private sectors including mission hospitals.

Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA) where this study was carried out was established in December 2011 by the merger between the former Federal Medical Centre and the former Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital. The hospital serves as a major referral centre in the state.

Participants in this study were males from 18 years and above at SOPC and GOPC of Alex- Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki who met the inclusion criteria and consented to the study.

This study lasted for one month.

- Men that have been in a relationship.

- Men ≥ 18 years.

- Men that consented to the study.

- Those with a background of psychiatric illness.

- Those on antipsychotic medications.

The sample size was calculated using the formula for a clinical cross sectional study by Charan and Biswas ([3]) at a power of 80% and 5% significance. Z_1−α/2²P (1 − P)/d², _Z1−α/2 = standard normal variate 1.96, p = expected proportion in population based on previous studies, d = absolute error or precision, N = 322.

A signed consent was obtained from each participant before recruitment into the study. The study objectives, procedure and full implications of participation were discussed with the participants before consent was obtained. The participants were made to understand that declining participation even at the middle of the study, will have no consequences for receiving adequate care for those who are patients.

Participants were recruited at the SOPC and GOPC following consent. Simple random sampling was used to recruit participants.

The questionnaire was in English Language, however, any participant that did not understand English had his questionnaire administered in his native language. The questionnaire had three parts, including; socio-demographic data, assessment of causes of intimate partner violence, IPV types being experience, what is considered IPV and whether or not there were reports of cases of IPV in males.

All male patients above the age of 18 years who were registered in the clinic’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) were assessed for eligibility. The average male attendance was 50. A set of 25 computer generated random numbers out of the 50 were used to recruit the participants. The males on the EMR were identified and sequentially numbered and the numbers which corresponded to the randomly generated numbers were selected. Once the random sample was selected, it was cross-checked against inclusion/exclusion criteria. The purpose, risks, and benefits were explained to the participant and thereafter, they were provided an informed consent document. After obtaining an informed consent, the self-administered, author developed questionnaire was given to the participants to fill. Clarification was made on the questions that the participants did not understand. Filled questionnaires were collected and quickly checked if it was properly filled, this eliminated missing data. Information was got from the participants in a private room and confidentiality was ensured. Patient who suffered IPV were referred to GBV centre in the facility (AEFUTHA).

A pilot study was conducted to pretest the questionnaire before carrying out the study.

Primary outcome measures are prevalence of lifetime intimate partner violence in men. Secondary outcome measures are types of intimate partner violence, causes, proportion of men that report IPV and reasons for not reporting IPV in males.

PhysicalIPV: Physical abuse involves the use of physical force against a partner that results in harm, injury, or potential injury. These include behaviors such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, choking, or using weapons.

SexualIPV: Sexual abuse involves any sexual act or behavior imposed on a partner without their consent. This involves the use of force, coercion, or manipulation to engage in sexual acts.

Emotional/PsychologicalIPV: Emotional or psychological abuse involves tactics that undermine a partner’s sense of self-worth, identity, or emotional well-being. It often includes manipulation, controlling behavior, constant belittling, threats of harm, isolating the partner from friends and family, or destroying a partner’s personal belongings to instill fear.

Economic/IPV:OperationalDefinition: Economic abuse involves controlling or limiting a partner’s access to financial resources, thus creating financial dependency and control. This can involve limiting or preventing the partner from working or accessing money, withholding money, controlling how the partner spends money and preventing them from having their own bank accounts.

VerbalIPV: Verbal abuse involves the use of language to demean, degrade, or control the partner. While similar to emotional abuse, verbal abuse focuses specifically on harmful words or language meant to hurt the partner as well as insults, yelling, name-calling, using derogatory terms, and threatening language.

A skilled occupation requires specialized knowledge, training, education, or experience to perform the job effectively. Formal education, certification, or apprenticeship required, Specific technical or professional skills, higher level of responsibility, usually higher wages. Examples include Doctor, Engineer, Electrician, Teacher.

An unskilled occupation does not require special training or formal education. The skills needed can usually be learned quickly on the job. It is characterised by simple and routine tasks with short training period, lower wages such as cleaner, loader, Farm labourer, housekeeper.

This refers to the foundational levels of education typically aimed at building essential literacy and numeracy skills. Examples include Primary, secondary Education and vocational certifications.

Advanced education refers to higher levels of learning, where individuals gain specialized knowledge in particular fields. It often leads to expertise in a specific subject or profession. Undergraduate, Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, post-graduate certifications in specialized fields.

Data was collated, tabulated and then statistically analysed using IBM SPSS version 23. Numerical variables were presented as mean and standard deviation (Mean ± S. D), while categorical variables were presented as numbers and percentages. Chi-square test (χ²) was used for association categorical variables. Regression analysis were done to take care of cofounding variables.

Ethical clearance was sought and obtained from the Health Research and Ethics committee of Alex-Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.

Men are in terrible conditions now. A married man who spent his hard earned money to marry a woman will be denied sex because he does not have money anymore. Whenever he approaches her at night, she will say “I am tired, how much do you have, I need to make my hair, nails, buy clothes”. IPV is common in situations where a man marries an educated woman or a woman from a rich background, every little crisis, she move out of the husbands’ house to her family house, abandoning the man to himself to suffer. Those female lawyers, doctors, professionals and the rest, it does not take them anything to take children away from their fathers.

Sometimes women beat their husbands and still accuse the man of beating her. Many men are being denied food. During family crisis, most men are not allowed to see their children and the children are often taken away from home. The worst is having an aldulterous woman and a woman who reigns abuses at will.

Denial of sex is very common in many marriages and because of the premium placed on sex by men, women use denial of sex as a way of punishment on their spouses. Verbal abuse is another type of violence metted against men by their wives. They call you lazy and good for nothing, they also compare you with your well to do brother (s) and friend (s).

This can arise when the woman is from a wealthy home and hers is richer that her spouses’.

Lack of resources to provide for the family, especially when a man who had been doing well suddenly loses his job or have problems in their businesses. Women advertise wrong perception on social media and other women will want to practice.

A woman who is as economically empowered as her spouse is more likely to abuse her spouse. Also, when a woman feels that she is richer than her husband is more likely to abuse her husband. Bad company has destroyed many marriages. A lot of bad behaviors that women display were learnt from friends. Mother-in-laws, sisters-in-law and other members of your wives’ families can influence her negatively.

Men are afraid that people will laugh at them if they report that they are being beaten by their wives. The worst is that most if not all governmental and non-governmental organizations are focused on women but “nobody cares about men”.

If you take your wife and her family to court because they took your children from you and deny you access to them, most judges will judge in their favor, they will ask you “can you cook, allow your children to stay with their mother”, more so when they are still young.

A man can go and report his bad marital experiences to his wife’s family, (mother-in-law or father) but it will be difficult for a man to say everything because he does not want wash his dirty linen in public. Often times, the inlaws will take sides with their daughters and even take her and the children away from you. “We may complain when there is violence against us but in a subtle way”.

I have been hearing about GBV Taskforce, family Law Centre and other places that one can report violence. All the people that are working there are women. If you go there as a man, those women there will not allow you talk, they will blame you for all the problems. You will be ashamed of yourself and regret why you attempted to report.

Drunkenness and depression which has killed so many men in our society, keeping late night, Lack of sexual desire and love. The man can resort to many things so as to survive, maybe drugs and gambling. Denial of sex results in child’s sexual harassment because when a man is unable to get sexual satisfaction from his wife, he begins to look around and he is willing and desperate to get it from any person around. Some also engage in masturbation as a result of lack of sex.

Intimate partner violence can lead to depression and high blood pressure and can lead to terrible health complications.

There is a high prevalence of IPV in men, yet it is underreported. Emotional violence is the most common form of IPV. Men are more likely to suffer from IPV when they are poor and the needs of the family are being catered to by their wives, especially when the women are skilled workers.

This was a clinic-based study which makes generalizability difficult. There is also potential underreporting due to stigma, and the cross-sectional design (no causal inference), and add 1 - 2 recent peer-reviewed studies on male IPV measurement or help-seeking to better anchor the interpretation of barriers to reporting.