Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Tyrone Malloy conducts a successful OB/GYN private practice in Decatur. An expert on medical research and leadership, Dr. Tyrone Malloy also serves as the CEO and medical director of the Soapstone Center for Clinical Research, which actively studies women's reproductive health issues. Cervical cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most pressing issues in women's health today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data indicate that approximately 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and that HPV causes about 18,000 women to develop cancer each year. However, there are vaccines that protect women against HPV. Current guidelines recommend that these vaccines be administered to adolescent girls in a series of three shots at age 11 or 12, or to older, unvaccinated women up to age 26. However, a recent report released by the CDC indicates that even one dose may provide 100% immunization against HPV. The report studied vaccination coverage among adolescent girls between 2006 and 2013 and found that only 58.3% received the HPV vaccine and only 33.4% had all three doses. When researchers measured the antibody levels in blood samples taken from participants in order to detect the presence of an immune response to the vaccine, they discovered that antibodies were found for up to four years in both the women who received all three doses and those who received only one or two doses. While antibody levels were lowest in the women who received only one dose, the levels appeared to be stable. Based on these findings, researchers suggest that the preventive effects of even a single dose of the HPV vaccine last long enough to prevent cervical cancer. This challenges the current assumption that the HPV vaccine needs to be administered in multiple doses to be effective