A disposable sanitary napkin includes a main body and a pair of bridged flaps. The main body includes an absorbent system, a topsheet, and a backsheet, and it has a pair of side edges extending along the length thereof. The bridged flaps include a first straight edge, a second, shape-cut edge defining a projecting portion, and a bridging segment of a release liner having at least one zone of adhesive configured for attachment to the projecting portion of each bridged flap. Each bridged flap is attached to the main body with the first, substantially straight edge of each shaped strip aligned with a corresponding side edge of the main body, the bridged flaps are disposed over the topsheet, and each side flap is releasable from the bridging segment of the release liner.