The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced an adjustment to its long-standing blood transfusion policy, allowing members to personally decide whether to accept or donate four major components of blood.
The organisation disclosed the change in a statement released by its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, and published on its official platform.
According to the statement, decisions concerning the acceptance of red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets from another person’s blood would now be left to the individual conscience of each member.
The statement said: “The decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is a matter of personal conscience.”
It added that members would also decide whether to donate blood specifically for the purpose of providing components or fractions for medical use by another person.
However, the organisation clarified that its position against receiving whole-blood transfusions remains unchanged.
“The long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds, based on the command to ‘abstain from blood’ (Acts 15:20), is unchanged,” the statement noted.
International spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Paul Gillies, said the organisation continues to regard blood as sacred while recognising that certain medical decisions involving blood components are matters between individuals and their faith.
“Blood remains sacred to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who continue to regard life and blood as precious gifts from God,” Gillies stated.
He added that congregations would not interfere in personal decisions made by individual members regarding medical treatment.
The organisation explained that the latest adjustment follows previous updates concerning blood fractions and the use of a person’s own blood during medical procedures.
It stated that since biblical texts do not specifically address some of these medical decisions, members are allowed to make personal choices based on their conscience.
Jehovah’s Witnesses also emphasised that they value medical care and seek treatment from healthcare professionals who respect their beliefs and personal decisions.
The group said it has more than nine million members worldwide across over 200 countries and territories.
The latest clarification builds on earlier changes that allowed members to decide whether their own blood could be removed, stored and returned during certain medical procedures, while maintaining the organisation’s position against receiving whole blood from another person.
