The religious group Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced an update to its longstanding policy on blood transfusions, allowing members to have their own blood removed, stored and later returned to them during certain medical procedures.
Under the revised guidance, members may undergo medical treatments in which their own blood is collected in advance and reinfused during surgeries or other planned medical interventions. However, the group continues to prohibit followers from receiving donated blood from other individuals.
The policy change was announced by Gerrit Lösch, a member of the organisation’s leadership, who stated that “each Christian must decide for himself how his blood will be used in medical and surgical care.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian-based religious movement widely known for its door-to-door evangelism, says it has about 144,000 members in the United Kingdom and roughly nine million followers worldwide.
Despite the adjustment, the organisation emphasised that its core doctrine on blood remains intact. According to the group, its interpretation of both the Old and New Testaments instructs believers to abstain from blood, which has historically led members to decline blood transfusions.
“Our core belief regarding the sanctity of blood remains unchanged,” a spokesperson for the group said.
Some former members have criticised the revision, arguing that it does not sufficiently address medical emergencies. Mitch Melon, quoted by the Los Angeles Times, said the policy still restricts members facing life-threatening situations involving severe blood loss.
“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,” he said.
The issue has also been the subject of legal disputes. In December last year, a court in Edinburgh, Scotland, ruled that doctors could administer a blood transfusion to a 14-year-old Jehovah’s Witness if it became necessary following surgery, despite the teenager’s objection on religious grounds.
Lawyers representing a local health board had sought the court order to allow the procedure if the girl’s life was at risk.
The updated policy is expected to guide medical decision-making among Jehovah’s Witnesses while maintaining the group’s long-standing religious stance on the use of blood.