An absorbent article has been patented. The article has a longitudinal centerline, a transverse centerline that is orthogonal to the longitudinal centerline, a skin-contactable side and a non-skin-contactable side. The article features an absorbent laminate and a deformation inducing means adjacent to the skin-non-contactable side. This convexly deforms the absorbent laminate toward the skin-contactable side. The absorbent laminate includes a liquid-permeable topsheet and a liquid-impermeable backsheet surrounding a liquid-absorbent core. The deformation inducing means includes a hydrophobic panel member and an elastically stretchable member secured to the panel member along the longitudinal centerline to convexly deform the panel member toward the skin-contactable side. When the elastically stretchable member contracts, the panel has a more narrow width compared to the absorbent laminate measured along the transverse centerline and the panel member lies inwardly on the absorbent laminate’s transversely opposite side edges. The deformation inducing means is disposed beneath the absorbent laminate on the backsheet’s outer surface. The respective regions of the absorbent laminate and the deformation inducing means are convexly deformed and become flattened against contractile forces of the elastically stretchable member.