Sanitary napkin with separate protective layers on adhesive regions

An absorbent product, comprising:

• an absorbent portion with an absorbent body between a liquid permeable sheet and a liquid impermeable sheet, said absorbent portion having a front part and a rear part and tapering longitudinal edges that taper from a section of greatest width at said front part to a section of narrower width at said rear part;
• flexible flaps projecting from said tapering longitudinal edges of said absorbent portion, each of said flexible flaps having a periphery that joins a periphery of said absorbent portion at forward point and rearward point, said forward and rearward points being joined by a first line that corresponds to a respective one of said tapering longitudinal edges;
• first adhesive regions on said liquid impermeable sheet over said absorbent portion;
• second adhesive regions on said flexible flaps;
• a first removable protective layer covering substantially all of said absorbent portion and fastening to said first adhesive regions;
• and
• second and third removable protective layers, each covering substantially all of a respective one of said flexible flaps and fastening to said second adhesive regions thereon;
• each of said second and third removable protective layers being directly opposite said first removable protective layer along substantially an entire length of a respective said first line and being at least partially separated from said first removable protective layer by a cut line that follows substantially all the respective said first line,
• wherein said cut line has a gap at a bridge that joins said first removable protective layer to a respective one of said second and third removable protective layers.