
Medical Director
Dr John White became a Medical Director at Preventx in 2022. With Dr Vanessa Apea, he jointly oversees all clinical aspects of Preventx’s UK operations.
He is a consultant physician in Sexual Health and HIV medicine with 30 years’ experience in the management and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and blood borne viruses. As a clinician, he currently works across the Northern and Western Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland and for the Donegal and Sligo Sexual Health Clinics in the Republic of Ireland.
John trained and worked in many clinical settings in Sydney, Australia, as well as in Edinburgh and in London, where he was based at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust for 13 years. Between 2009 and 2020, he was Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of ST & AIDS.
GMC number: 4643618
Roles and responsibilities at Preventx
- Overseeing all clinical aspects of STI testing and reporting
- Working with the broader Preventx teams to advise on current and new service developments
Roles and responsibilities in the NHS and HSE
- Clinical care of genitourinary medicine/sexual health clinic outpatients
- Medical management of people living with HIV
- Male, female and trans sexual health care
- Clinical supervision and consultation with allied clinical staff
- Clinical microscopy including teaching and supervision
- Clinical teaching for nursing and medical students, and postgraduate clinicians
- STI Foundation registered trainer
- Medical adviser to Northern Ireland Sexual Assault Referral Centre
Specialist areas
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- HIV medicine
- Bacterial STIs
- GBMSM (gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men) sexual health
- LGV and non-LGV rectal chlamydial infection
- STI/HIV diagnostics, including point-of-care testing
- Innovation in sexual health service provision and clinical pathways
Qualifications and memberships
- Specialist Registration in Genitourinary Medicine, Irish Medical Council, Dublin, Ireland
- Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK
- Specialist Registration in Genitourinary Medicine, General Medical Council, UK
- Foundation Fellowship of the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Sydney, Australia
- ASHM Accreditation for Hepatitis C Community Prescribing, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ASHM Accreditation for S-100 HIV Antiretroviral Prescribing, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Fellowship of the Australasian College of Sexual Health Physicians, Sydney, Australia
- Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Family Planning Association, Ashfield, NSW, Australia
- Masters in Medicine (Sexual Health) – Coursework, University of Sydney, Australia
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, University of Sydney, Australia
Professional memberships
- British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH)
- British HIV Association (BHIVA)
- British Medical Association
- International AIDS Society
- Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Guideline authorship and committee groups
Bilinska J, Artykov R, White J. Effective Treatment of Lymphogranuloma Venereum With a 7-Day Course of Doxycycline. Sex Transm Dis. 2024 Jul 1;51(7):504-507.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38465962/
Cavanagh N, White J, Sexually transmitted causes of urethritis, proctitis, pharyngitis, vaginitis and cervicitis. Medicine, May 2022.
https://www.medicinejournal.co.uk/article/S1357-3039(22)00045-7/abstract
Handsfield HH, White JA. Chlamydia trachomatis Biovar Genotyping and Treatment of Lymphogranuloma Venereum. Sex Transm Dis. 2020 Apr;47(4):253.
https://journals.lww.com/stdjournal/fulltext/2020/04000/chlamydia_trachomatis_biovar_genotyping_and.8.aspx
Ross JDC, Brittain C, Cole M, Dewsnap C, Harding J, Hepburn T, Jackson L, Keogh M, Lawrence T, Montgomery AA, Roberts TE, Sprange K, Tan W, Thandi S, White J, Wilson J, Duley L; G-ToG trial team. Gentamicin compared with ceftriaxone for the treatment of gonorrhoea: a randomized trial (G-ToG Trial). Lancet 2019. June 22;393(10190):2511–2520
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31056291/
Rana S, Macdonald N, French P, Jarman J, Patel S, Portman M, Suchak T, Sullivan A, White J, Crook P. Enhanced surveillance of syphilis cases among men who have sex with men in London, October 2016-January 2017. Int J STD AIDS. 2019 Apr;30(5):422-429
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30621550/
Simons R, Candfield S, French P, White JA. Observed Treatment Responses to Short- Course Doxycycline Therapy for Rectal Lymphogranuloma Venereum in Men Who Have Sex With Men. Sex Transm Dis. 2018 Jun;45(6):406-408.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29465660/
Ison CA, Fifer H, Gwynn S, Horner P, Muir P, Nicholls J, Radcliffe K, Ross J, Taylor-Robinson D, White J. Highlighting the clinical need for diagnosing Mycoplasma genitalium infection. Int J STD AIDS. 2018 Jun;29(7):680-686.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29431025/
Davies O, Costelloe S, Cross G, Dew T, O'Shea S, White J, Fox J. Impact of rectal gonorrhoea and chlamydia on HIV viral load in the rectum: potential significance for onward transmission. Int J STD AIDS. 2017 Jan 1:956462416686513.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28081680/
Patel RR, White JA, Menon-Johansson AS, Sadiq ST, Ross JD. 2nd BASHH Oxford Diagnostics Course, November 2015. Int J STD AIDS. 2016 Jan 18.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26787639/
Saxon C, Hughes G, Ison C and for the UK LGV Case-Finding Group (JA White member). Asymptomatic lymphogranuloma venereum in men who have sex with men, United Kingdom. Emerg Infect Dis. Vol. 22, No. 1, January 2016
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26691688/
Other Clinicians
Dr. Vanessa Apea
Adam Black
Holly Kidson