The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced a major adjustment to its long-standing policy on the medical use of blood, allowing members to decide for themselves whether to accept or donate primary blood components.
The change was made public on September 18, 2026, from the organization’s world headquarters in Warwick, New York. According to the statement, decisions concerning the use of four main components — red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma — obtained from another person’s blood are now a matter of individual conscience rather than a uniform religious ban.
Under the revised position, each Witness is also free to decide whether to donate blood specifically for the purpose of producing components or fractions that may be used to treat another person. The organization stressed that while the choice has been liberalized, members are expected to make such decisions before God.
However, the faith group maintained that its core doctrine on whole blood remains unchanged. Its long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions, based on the biblical injunction to “abstain from blood” in Acts 15:20, is still in force, and donating blood for whole-blood transfusion is still prohibited.
This latest adjustment follows an earlier revision announced on March 20, 2026, which permitted members to have their own blood drawn, stored and reinfused during medical procedures. The organization said both changes reflect further consideration that the Bible does not directly comment on these specific medical applications, and therefore they should be left to personal conscience.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Ease Blood Doctrine, Allow Members Personal Choice On Major Blood Components
