Jehovah’s Witnesses allow blood-derived products but keep ban on whole-blood transfusions
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have partly eased their longstanding prohibition on the medical use of donated blood, allowing members to receive products derived from blood but maintaining a ban on transfusions of whole blood.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have relaxed their strict stance on the use of blood-derived products, permitting members to receive treatments involving plasma, platelets, red and white blood cells, while still prohibiting whole-blood transfusions. This policy change, announced on Friday, represents the second revision this year in the organization's longstanding policy.
Geoffrey W. Jackson, a member of the Governing Body, stated that individuals must make personal decisions regarding blood-derived treatments, emphasizing that members should pray, study, and study the Bible before making a decision. The organization continues to prohibit members from receiving or donating whole blood for transfusions.
Critics argue that the ban on blood transfusions, based on their interpretation of Bible passages, may have led to preventable deaths in surgeries, accidents, or violent situations. Despite this, Jehovah’s Witnesses, with a U.S. membership of 1.3 million and a global membership of 9.2 million, remain unique in their stance on blood transfusions among Christian churches.
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