Patented is a sanitary napkin for mounting to the bodyside of a crotch portion of an undergarment, and, during use, absorbing bodily excretions. The napkin includes an elongated absorbent pad with a longitudinal axis, a longitudinally central portion and opposite longitudinal side edges. The pad side edges are deflectable with respect to the central portion, and include an absorbent contained between a bodyside, liquid-permeable cover and a garment side, liquid-impermeable baffle. The absorbent pad is normally curved upward with respect to its longitudinal axis. There are control means for selectively controlling deflection of the pad side edges during use. The control means are anchorable under the crotch portion of the undergarment. The anchoring establishes a generally downward pull on the pad side edges and prevents the pad side edge from folding in toward the absorbent pad where control means comprise first and second opposite garment attachment panels. The panels normally extend, respectively, generally downward and inward from the absorbent pad adjacent to the pad side edges. The garment attachment panels each include a fixed portion attached to the underside of the absorbent pad toward the adjacent pad side edge and a free portion diverging from the underside of the absorbent pad for, during use, extending under the crotch portion of the undergarment. A garment attachment point is defined where the fixed and free portions meet each other; and include means for anchoring the free portions of the garment attachment panels so as to establish a predetermined deflection of the absorbent pad side edges, causing a predetermined particular confinement of the pad side edges of the crotch portion of the undergarment. This facilitates accurate mounting of the sanitary napkin on the undergarment. The means for anchoring the free portions of the garment attachment panels comprise mating fastener elements, one on each of the garment attachment panels. The fastener elements are configured as to provide substantially only a single predetermined lateral relation of one garment attachment panel to the other.