Jehovah’s Witnesses allow self-donation in blood transfusion rules review

Jehovah’s Witnesses have revised their long-standing policy on blood transfusions, now permitting members to have their own blood removed, stored, and reinfused during medical procedures, such as planned surgeries.

The change allows for autologous transfusions—using a patient’s own pre-donated blood—but the group continues to prohibit receiving blood from other donors.

Gerrit Losch, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, announced the adjustment, stating: “Each Christian must decide for himself how his blood will be used in medical and surgical care.”

A spokesperson for the organisation emphasised that the core religious belief remains unchanged.

“Our core belief regarding the sanctity of blood remains unchanged,” the spokesperson said. “Both the Old and New Testaments command us to abstain from blood.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses, known for their door-to-door evangelism and claim of approximately 144,000 active members in the UK and nine million worldwide, have historically viewed blood transfusions as violating biblical commands to abstain from blood.

The policy update has drawn mixed reactions. Some former members criticised it as insufficient.

“If one of Jehovah’s Witnesses faces a medical emergency with significant blood loss, or if a child requires multiple transfusions to treat certain types of cancers, this policy change does not grant them complete freedom of conscience to accept potentially life-saving interventions involving donated blood,” BBC quoted a former member Mitch Melon who spoke to LA Times.

The change comes amid ongoing legal and ethical debates. In December 2025, an Edinburgh court ruled that doctors could administer a blood transfusion to a 14-year-old Jehovah’s Witness girl if her life was at risk following surgery, despite her objections based on religious beliefs.

Judge Lady Tait granted the order, stating she was satisfied it was in the child’s best interests while giving appropriate weight to her views.