Absorbent article having stain resistant properties

1. A sanitary napkin comprising:

a body facing surface;

a portion adapted to be arranged over the vaginal opening during use;

a first colored portion, said colored portion extending over at least the portion of the napkin to be placed over the vaginal opening during use;

a noncolored portion;

wherein said first colored portion has a first color as measured from said body facing surface prior to staining;

wherein said first colored portion has a second color as measured from said body facing surface after staining;

wherein said first color has an average L value greater than 80; and

wherein a Δa* between said first color and said second color is less than 18.

2. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein said Δa* between said first color said second color is less than 15.

3. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein said Δa* between said first color said second color is less than 12.

4. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein said first color has an average L value greater than 85.

5. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein said napkin includes an imaginary longitudinal centerline and an imaginary transverse centerline and said first colored portion extends along said longitudinal centerline.

6. The sanitary napkin according to claim 5 , wherein said first colored portion is arranged such that it is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal centerline and the transverse centerline.

7. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second colored portion.

8. The sanitary napkin according to claim 7 , wherein said second colored portion comprises a ring that extends around said first colored portion.

9. The sanitary napkin according to claim 8 , wherein said ring is spaced from said first colored portion such that a noncolored area is located between said first colored portion and said second colored portion.

10. The sanitary napkin according to claim 9 , wherein said ring has a width in the range of about 1 mm to about 5 mm.

11. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein said first colored portion extends over about 15% to about 40% of the surface of an absorbent portion of the napkin.

12. The sanitary napkin according to claim 11 , further comprising a second colored portion, wherein said second colored portion extends over about 3% to about 12% of the surface of an absorbent portion of the napkin.

13. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a cover layer;

a barrier layer; and

a colored layer arranged between said cover layer and said barrier layer.

14. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein said first color has an average L value of between about 80 and about 92, an average a* value of between −6.0 and −3.5 and an average b* value of between about −5.0 and about −10.

15. The sanitary napkin according to claim 14 , wherein said first color has an average L value of between about 85 and 92, an average a* value of between about −5.5 and about −4.0 and an average b* value of between about −7.0 and about −9.0.

16. The sanitary napkin according to claim 1 , wherein noncolored portion has an average, L, a*, and b* value as measured from said body facing surface prior to staining;

wherein said noncolored portion has an average, L, a* and b* value as measured from said body facing surface after staining; and

wherein a Δa* between the average a* value before staining and the average a* value after staining is less than 16.

17. The sanitary napkin according to claim 16 , wherein said Δa* is less than 15.

18. The sanitary napkin according to claim 16 , wherein said Δa* is less than 14.