John Richens, M.D.

Clinical Lecturer in Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases,

Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, UK

Specialist in Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV

Course organizer for MSc in Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV

            John Richens obtained the MRCP and an MSc in Clinical Tropical Medicine at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (LSHTM) in 1983.  From 1984-1990 he worked as a general physician at Goroka Base Hospital in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea where he conducted research on typhoid, reactive arthritis, hepatoma and donovanosis with colleagues from the Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research.  After returning to the UK he worked for 2 years at the LSHTM teaching on the DTM&H and MSc in Clinical Tropical Medicine and carrying out further research on donovanosis before moving to the Department of Sexually Transmitted Disease at UCL in 1993.  Since joining the department he has divided his time between clinical work in sexually transmitted infections and HIV, teaching on the MSc in STIs and HIV (for which he is currently course organizer) and international health consultancies on sexual health.  He has worked extensively in Asia (China, India, Bangladesh and Central Asian Republics) and Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Cameroun, Nigeria) on the design and evaluation of intervention projects for the control of STIs and HIV as well as developing training programmes on clinical and public health aspects of STI/HIV control.  He has contributed to the UK National Guidelines on Sexually Transmitted Infections and reviews papers for the Lancet, AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections and tropical medicine journals. His current research interests are in innovative strategies for control of sexually transmitted infections and the impact of risk compensation (behavioural adaptation) on sexual health interventions.   He maintains an interest in tropical STIs, especially donovanosis.