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

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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

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“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.”

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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.

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

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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