Blood Transfusion: Jehovah’s Witnesses ease restrictions after eight decades

The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses announced a policy adjustment allowing members to decide on accepting or donating the four main blood components, based on personal conscience. The organisation disclosed this in a statement from its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York. The decision to accept or donate red cells, white cells, plasma, or platelets is a personal choice, the statement affirmed.

However, whole-blood transfusions remain prohibited due to religious beliefs drawn from the command to "abstain from blood" (Acts 15:20).

Paul Gillies, an international spokesman for the organization, emphasized that blood remains sacred to Jehovah’s Witnesses and that each individual must decide whether to donate blood for use by others. The adjustment comes after previous updates on blood fractions and the use of one's own blood in medical procedures. The organization stated that since the Bible does not address such personal decisions, they are a matter of individual conscience.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, numbering over nine million globally, continue to prioritize life and seek the best medical care. The organization assured that local congregations will not interfere in members' personal decisions and will continue to respect and support their personal choices regarding blood. The adjustment aligns with the organization's stance that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of personal conscience between each Witness and God.