A personal care absorbent article includes a generally liquid permeable
cover sheet, a generally liquid impermeable baffle, and an absorbent
material disposed between the cover sheet and the baffle. A water soluble
flexible absorbent binder composition is applied between the cover sheet
and the baffle and functions as a primary absorbent material and to
adhere the cover sheet to the baffle. The absorbent binder composition
includes a crosslinked absorbent polymer and a polymer dispersion added
in an amount so as to maintain structural integrity of the article for a
time period of at least about two hours after the article is immersed in
water by being flushed.