Much of the literature has been conducted on innovation; this research provides new insights for preventive innovations that increase our understanding of vaccination diffusion and the reasons underlying the complexity of preventive diffusion. The research uses adoption of Rogers' ( 1983 ) perceived characteristics and considers the rate by which a product diffuses in a market. Qualitative empirical evidence collected via focus groups is used to identify human papillomavirus vaccine issues against the salience of perceived characteristics. Several impediments are identified and the application of marketing strategies is suggested for preventive innovations to improve the diffusion process and for designing proactive adoption.