Cervical cancer caused by infection with the human papillomavirus is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide. Over the course of the past century our understanding of the virus and the disease has expanded exponentially through landmark studies and pioneers of academic medicine. It has all led to the current evidence-based guidelines for prevention of cervical dysplasia and invasive carcinoma in adolescent females that will significantly lessen morbidity and mortality and may eradicate the disease completely. Unfortunately, the greatest challenge to this may be overcoming common misunderstandings and other barriers to compliance with these guidelines among practitioners, patients, and the general public.