A compound sanitary napkin including a primary absorbent member and a secondary absorbent member. The primary absorbent member includes an absorbent core and a liquid pervious topsheet superposed on the absorbent core and a flexible backsheet under the absorbent core, the topsheet and the backsheet being affixed together to enclose the absorbent core around an outer periphery to form a flange seal. The secondary absorbent member includes a liquid pervious topsheet, a liquid impervious barrier sheet joined to the topsheet and an absorbent element positioned between the topsheet and the barrier sheet. The primary absorbent member and the secondary absorbent member are joined together to form a unitary structure.