Your sister asks, "Is it safe?"
You read for two nights.
One donor was fine. Another nearly died.
Nobody says how often either one happens.
The reason that number is missing tells you what to say to her.
You Assumed Somebody Was Counting
Egg retrieval is a medical procedure.
It involves weeks of medication and a retrieval.
So you figured a number exists somewhere.
A report, a website, something official.
I assumed the same thing, so I went looking for it.
The trail goes cold faster than you'd expect.
The Clinic Number Is Under 1%
One clinic webinar says complications occur in under 1%.
That sounds like an answer.
Under 1% of what, though?
Cycles, donors, or only the cases the clinic heard about?
A percentage with no denominator is a slogan.
Then a second number shows up.
The Donor Survey Says Something Else
A researcher's survey suggests some donors report severe OHSS requiring fluid removal.
Others report hospital stays of five or more days.
The industry disputes those numbers.
Both sides may be sincere.
One count comes from clinics.
The other comes from donors describing their own cycles.
Those are different measuring sticks, and nobody has laid them side by side.
In the US, No One Follows Donors
There is no national US registry following donors' health.
Clinics aren't required to track how donors fare afterward.
The UK is different.
Its regulator, the HFEA, reports severe OHSS.
Advocates say the US has nothing comparable for donors.
So the list you're looking for doesn't exist.
But the gap is deeper than a missing spreadsheet.
A Hospital Visit Can Vanish Before Anyone Counts It
Take a donor who lands in an ER far from her clinic.
Her complication may never be reported back to the clinic that did the retrieval.
One donor said the local doctors "didn't know what to do or how to treat me."
If the hospital doesn't know, and the clinic doesn't hear, the event goes unrecorded.
And hospitalization isn't even the whole story.
Even a Perfect Hospital Count Would Miss Most of It
Some donors never get admitted and still have a terrible week.
One described being not hospitalized but miserable for five days.
Others describe vomiting and bloating like being three months pregnant.
None of that shows up in an admissions tally.
So a true count needs more than one number.
Which is why the stories online feel so contradictory.
The Good Stories Are Real, and They Prove Less Than You Think
Many donors have smooth cycles.
One wrote, "I donated 3 times and bloating was my biggest issue."
I believe her.
Another donor spent four days in an ICU after a 53-egg retrieval.
I believe her too.
Both are true, and neither one is an estimate of your sister's odds.
What Reassurance Sounds Like From the Inside
One donor was told OHSS was "a very rare side effect."
She said it was "almost brushed aside."
Then it happened to her.
She couldn't eat, couldn't drink, and wouldn't be able to walk for two weeks.
Another said she felt "deceived by the health care professionals."
The consent paperwork listed the risk in text.
Nobody explained in words what it would feel like, or when to go to the ER.
The People Holding the Data Are Paid by the Cycle
Right now, the only people counting outcomes are clinics and agencies.
They profit when a cycle finishes.
That's a conflict of interest, whatever their intentions.
Donors often never learn whether their eggs led to a baby.
They also never get a health follow-up.
Some wonder whether later thyroid trouble, PCOS, or missed periods trace back to donation.
Without research, nobody can say.
What One Shared Record Would Change
A real registry could answer the plain questions.
How many donors were hospitalized, over what period, counted how, and by whom.
Clinics with smooth outcomes could finally prove it.
Donors could take pride in helping another family, knowing they chose with full information.
And the next sister who asks would get data instead of anecdotes.
Sharing a hard story doesn't scare people off.
Right now, stories are the only data there is.
What You Can Tell Her Tonight
You can say this: nobody knows how often donors are hurt, and that's the honest answer.
That's no guess. It's a fact about the system.
Then hand her the questions.
What protocol and trigger will you use?
What happens if I over-respond?
Who pays if I'm hospitalized?
Can I stop mid-cycle without penalty, and who answers the phone after hours?
If money is the reason she's doing this, the questions matter more, not less.
An independent OB-GYN, someone not paid to recruit her, can help her weigh them.
Her Questions Are Not a Red Flag
She may worry about being labeled "a difficult donor."
One donor asked her case manager to raise her concerns before a repeat cycle.
She reported a smoother experience.
A good clinic welcomes hard questions in writing.
A clinic that doesn't has told her something too.
Have her send the questions this week, and see who answers.