Absorbent article

An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction along a central longitudinal axis and a transverse direction along a central transverse axis extending perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, having a front end edge and a back end edge extending in said transverse direction and a first side edge and a second side edge extending in said longitudinal direction, and having a front portion, a back portion, and a crotch portion located between said front portion and said back portion, said absorbent article comprising:

• an absorbent core sandwiched between a liquid-permeable topsheet and a liquid-impermeable backsheet;
• and
• two sealed channels in the crotch portion of the absorbent article, the channels extending in the longitudinal direction of said absorbent core,
• wherein said absorbent core comprises an absorbent component, said absorbent component being enclosed by a core cover,
• wherein said absorbent component comprises a coherent area, said coherent area having an extension in said longitudinal direction in at least said front portion and said crotch portion of said absorbent article and having an extension in said transverse direction over a full width of said absorbent component inside said core cover, said coherent area having a front edge and a back edge,
• wherein said core cover comprises an upper side, a lower side, and a sealing arrangement for joining said upper and lower sides of said core cover in the form of at least one sealed channel extending in said longitudinal direction of said absorbent core, said at least one sealed channel including the two sealed channels in the crotch portion of the absorbent article, said at least one sealed channel being free or substantially free from absorbent material,
• wherein the absorbent component comprises oblong high density areas of absorbent material alternating with oblong low density areas of absorbent material, the oblong high density areas of absorbent material and the oblong low density areas of absorbent material extending in said longitudinal direction of said absorbent article, in the front portion or in the crotch portion of said absorbent article,
• wherein the absorbent component comprises 3-20 oblong high density areas,
• wherein a stiffening segment is defined in said absorbent component between said two sealed channels, and
• wherein a density of absorbent material in said stiffening segment in the crotch portion of said absorbent article is 5-70% higher than a density of the absorbent material in said oblong high density areas in the front portion of said absorbent article.