Jehovah’s Witnesses have clarified their long-standing doctrine on blood transfusion, allowing members to make personal decisions regarding the use of their own blood during medical procedures.
The update, announced in a video released on the group’s official website on Friday, retains the ban on receiving another person’s blood but introduces greater individual discretion in matters involving a patient’s own blood, especially in surgeries and advanced treatments.
A member of the Governing Body, Gerrit Lösch, said the clarification aims to help adherents make informed medical choices without straying from biblical teachings.
He noted that while the doctrine instructing Christians to abstain from blood remains unchanged, the scriptures do not specifically address the clinical use of one’s own blood.
“Regarding the use of one’s own blood…a Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy,” he said.
Lösch explained that members can now decide whether to permit procedures in which their blood is temporarily removed, stored, and later returned to the body.
“Some Christians may decide that they would allow their blood to be stored and then be given back to them. Others may object. Each Christian must make his personal decision on all matters involving the use of his own blood with regard to medical or surgical care,” he added.
He also pointed out that practices such as blood testing, dialysis, and the use of heart-lung machines have already gained broad acceptance among members.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have historically based their refusal of blood transfusions on biblical passages interpreted as forbidding the use of blood. However, the organisation maintains that it is not opposed to modern medicine and continues to support alternative “bloodless” treatments consistent with its beliefs.
The latest clarification signals a shift toward personal responsibility in medical decision-making, while preserving the core doctrine that receiving another person’s blood remains unacceptable within the faith.
