Davis County Community Trends-- Jennifer Meek

Jennifer Meek

Community Trends Assignment: Davis County

I interviewed my father, Dr. Steven Meek. He is an OBGYN and practices at the Tanner Memorial Clinic in Davis County. I decided to interview him because I am very interested in the health of pregnant mothers and newborns. The following trends are for Davis County, where I am from.

1.      Increased number of sexually transmitted diseases

There are many possible reasons for this trend. Many people who have sexually transmitted diseases or infections aren’t aware of the fact that they are infected. Many can have subclinical infections, where they are infected and can infect others while showing no symptoms themselves. Other reasons can be a lack of caution amongst those who are aware that they are infection. Most people infected with STDs keep it a secret, or perhaps are too embarrassed or do not know that they need to seek treatment.

2.      Increased infertility rate in women who choose delay having children

It is no new discovery that the older women get, the harder it is for them to get pregnant, and may even make their pregnancy harder. Fertility decreases with age, but women are still waiting to have children. Today in the US 1 in 5 women have their first child after the age of 35, and the trend is also evident in Davis County. This is due to many reasons, among which are the fact that women are going further with their education and getting more demanding jobs. Many are also marrying later in life. 

3.      Decreased rates of teen pregnancy

This trend is occurring in Davis County in Utah, but it also widespread across the nation. The reasons for the decline are thought to be increased knowledge of contraception, and more effective contraception use. It is an interesting time for teen pregnancy in the media, where shows such as “16 and Pregnant,” glamorize teen pregnancy by making the participants famous. There are also pregnant teen celebrities like Bristol Palin in the most popular magazines and TV shows.

4.      Increased rate of young girls below the poverty level and decreased access to insurance

In Davis County there has been an increase in both young girls and pregnant women below the poverty level. This results in a decreased number of women with access to insurance. Healthcare is extremely expensive, and most below the poverty level cannot afford it, especially without insurance. This can lead to decreased hospital visits, which can be detrimental to the health of the baby. This can also lead to increased health problems among young girls if health issues remain undiscovered or unreported.

5.      Increased teenage suicide rate

This trend is occurring nationally as well as in Davis County. It is also very difficult to speculate reasons for such a trend, and it is a grave and depressing topic. Even the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will not publicly speculate on the causes for the increase in suicides among teens. One expert thinks that there is a correlation between decreased antidepressant prescribing and the increased rate of suicide. But all are aware that suicide is a complex issue and there is not any one reason that the rates have been rising.