TWIST just chatted with Kat Graham from The Vampire Diaries! Kat talked about her involvement with the U by Kotex's Generation Know program, which empowers girls to learn more about their health and bodies. Kat shares why Generation Know is so important to her and how you can get involved. Check out our exclusive convo below!
XOXO,
TWIST
TWIST: Why is Generation Know important to you?
Kat Graham: Generation Know is important to me because it signifies a future where girls can change the way that they look at their bodies, and can change the way the world perceives getting your period as a stigma. I think it's important!
TWIST: How did you get involved?
KG: I was asked to participate in Generation Know by U by Kotex. When I learned more about the program. I got really fluffed up and I couldn't believe it! They wanted somebody who could empower girls not to feel insecure or not feel judged by how they perceive their bodies. So the fact that I got approached made me feel empowered, and made me feel that I could change the way young women perceive themselves. If I can achieve that, than I've done everything in my career that I set out to do.
TWIST: How can TWIST readers get involved?
KG: Visit GenerationKnow.com - that is the first step, that's what I did. On the site, you can meet other girls like you, you can hear other stories, you can bust myths, you can look at all the other girls like you and celebrities wearing the Generation Know bracelet. You can also get information you need and help other girls too. The website is the best place to start.
TWIST: Do you have any advice for girls who want to learn more about their health and body but feel embarrassed to talk about it with their parents?
KG: My advice for girls would be: you're not alone in how you feel. Especially when you're on your period and going through hormonal changes... and even when you're going through life and you meet a guy for the first time, you get your heartbroken - you always feel you're the only one going through it. My advice would be to enjoy your girlfriends, enjoy the sisterhood and be open and communicate and don't hold things in. It might be scary, but communication is honestly the key to having a better relationship with yourself.
TWIST: Did you feel you could go to your parents and talk to them about these things?
KG: No, I wasn't going to talk to my mom. To this day, there are still things you don't want to talk to your parents about. I would talk to my girlfriends or I would read young teen magazines [like TWIST!] to learn if something was normal. I think it's great with the internet but you have to be careful because not everything on the internet is true, so don't just Google things. Go to GenerationKnow.com, and the answers are right there for you. If you do have a question, that's where you should ask it. That's what I would do because I think when you search online you can almost do more damage than help.