Jehovah’s Witnesses Change Blood Policy, Allow Members to Decide on Key Components

Jehovah’s Witnesses Change Blood Policy, Allow Members to Decide on Key Components

Jehovah’s Witnesses have announced a major change to their blood policy, allowing individual members to decide whether to accept or donate red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets for medical purposes.

The organisation’s Governing Body announced the new position on Friday, September 18, saying such decisions would now be matters of personal conscience.

However, the longstanding prohibition on whole-blood transfusions remains in place. The organisation said its position is based on its interpretation of the biblical instruction to “abstain from blood.”

The latest announcement follows a March 2026 policy change that allowed members to decide whether their own blood could be collected and stored for personal medical procedures.