Symptoms for the contagious liver disease Hepatitis B appear in about 70 percent of adults according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A fairly common transmission route for Hepatitis B unique to women occurs during birth, when the umbilical cord carries the infection to the fetus. The rate of infection fell by 82 percent since 1990, when physicians began widespread Hepatitis B vaccines for newborns. The symptoms, once they appear, are similar for men and women.
Flu-like Symptoms
If you contract Hepatitis B you may feel like you have come down with the flu. Planned Parenthood states you may feel tired, be nauseated and run a fever. Other flu-like symptoms a woman may display include headaches, joint pain and a loss of appetite.
Jaundice
You may display symptoms of jaundice if you are infected with Hepatitis B. Women with yellowing eyes and skin may actually indicate they have contracted Hepatitis B according to the CDC. Bodily fluids may also have more yellow color. You may expose yourself to Hepatitis B infection and jaundice by excessive alcohol use, exposure to infected bodily fluids through a blood spill, unprotected sex or shared needles in drug use.
Dark Urine, Light Stool
If you have been infected with Hepatitis B, you may excrete darkened urine and pale, clay-like stool. Your urine may actually look tea colored and your bowel movements may appear gray, according to Epigee.org. It can take from 9 to 21 weeks for the symptoms to appear. Visible symptoms are more likely to show up in adults rather than in children who have been infected.
Stomach Pain, Vomiting or No Symptoms
Extreme stomach pain and vomiting may indicate a Hepatitis B infection. Abdominal pain and diarrhea are listed by Girl's Health as possible symptoms of the disease. The site also warns that a woman can have the infection without showing any symptoms. Because of the possibility of carrying chronic Hepatitis B without symptoms, all pregnant women should be tested for Hepatitis B so that the newborn can receive the proper medication to prevent the disease at birth.
