An absorbent article for encircling a user's lower abdominal region, said absorbent article having a longitudinal direction, a central longitudinal direction, a transverse direction ending in opposing lateral-most side edges, and a depth direction, said absorbent article including an absorbent article front surface and an absorbent article back surface, two leg openings having opening edges, and a waist opening defined by a waist edge with a minimum transverse direction width when said absorbent article is in a relaxed and flattened state, said absorbent article comprising: an absorbent core insert including a liquid permeable topsheet layer, a liquid impermeable backsheet layer, and at least one absorbent core layer sandwiched between said liquid permeable topsheet layer and said liquid impermeable backsheet layer; said absorbent core insert including two opposing longitudinal direction ends and opposing lateral direction side edges extending between said opposing longitudinal direction ends, said absorbent core insert forming the crotch portion of said absorbent article; asymmetrically shaped front and back panels which together form said waist edge of said absorbent article waist opening, said front panel being elastic along said absorbent article transverse direction, and said back panel being at least extensible along said absorbent article transverse direction; said front and back panels being respectively bonded to opposing longitudinal direction ends of said absorbent core insert, and further bonded to each other along bond seams situated inwardly from said absorbent article opposing lateral-most side edges and along said absorbent article front surface; such that the distance between a bond seam and the closest lateral-most side edge being between about 2.5 % and 25 % of the minimum transverse direction width of the waist edge of said absorbent article; optionally wherein said distance between a bond seam and the closest lateral-most side edge is between about 5 % and 22.5% of the minimum transverse direction width of the waist edge of said absorbent article. an absorbent core insert including a liquid permeable topsheet layer, a liquid impermeable backsheet layer, and at least one absorbent core layer sandwiched between said liquid permeable topsheet layer and said liquid impermeable backsheet layer; said absorbent core insert including two opposing longitudinal direction ends and opposing lateral direction side edges extending between said opposing longitudinal direction ends, said absorbent core insert forming the crotch portion of said absorbent article; asymmetrically shaped front and back panels which together form said waist edge of said absorbent article waist opening, said front panel being elastic along said absorbent article transverse direction, and said back panel being at least extensible along said absorbent article transverse direction; said front and back panels being respectively bonded to opposing longitudinal direction ends of said absorbent core insert, and further bonded to each other along bond seams situated inwardly from said absorbent article opposing lateral-most side edges and along said absorbent article front surface; such that the distance between a bond seam and the closest lateral-most side edge being between about 2.5 % and 25 % of the minimum transverse direction width of the waist edge of said absorbent article; optionally wherein said distance between a bond seam and the closest lateral-most side edge is between about 5 % and 22.5% of the minimum transverse direction width of the waist edge of said absorbent article.