Generally thin, flexible sanitary napkin with stiffened center

A sanitary napkin having a longitudinal centerline, a stiffened longtudinal central region disposed along the length of at least a portion of the longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline, two longitudinal edges, two end edges, a first end region extending from one of said end edges toward said transverse centerline, a second end region extending from the other end edge toward said transverse centerline, and a central region between said first and second end regions, a flexure resistance as measured through said end regions and a flexure resistance as measured through said stiffened longitudinal central region, said sanitary napkin comprising:

• a liquid pervious topsheet;
• a liquid impervious backsheet joined to said topsheet;
• an absorbent core positioned between said topsheet and said backsheet, said absorbent core having two longitudinal edges and a width defined by said longitudinal edges;
• wherein said stiffened longitudinal central region has a transverse width greater than or equal to about 5 cm, said longitudinal side regions have absorbent capacity, and the flexure resistance of said sanitary napkin as measured through said central region is greater than the flexure resistance of said sanitary napkin as measured through said first and second end regions, and said sanitary napkin has a caliper as measured through said first and second end regions of less than about 5 mm.