ANDY'S ANSWER: A pad does two things - it absorbs the liquid, and the plastic on the bottom provides a barrier to stop any liquid from going through to your garments. If you think that you have seen some blood when you pee, but not yet on your underwear, I would suggest you just use a pantiliner. They are very thin and you cannot tell that you are wearing one, but they are still designed to protect your panties from a light flow.