The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced a change in its policy on blood, allowing members to decide according to their personal conscience whether to accept or donate four major blood components.
The organisation announced the change on Friday, September 18, 2026, in a statement issued by its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York.
The four components are red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets.
According to the organisation, “the decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is a matter of personal conscience.”
It also said individual Witnesses must decide whether to donate blood specifically for the purpose of providing components or blood fractions for another person.
Whole-blood position remains unchanged
Despite the change, the organisation said its long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions remained unchanged.
Jehovah’s Witnesses base their position on the biblical instruction to “abstain from blood”, citing Acts 15:20. The organisation has historically rejected transfusions of whole blood and its four primary components.
However, the new decision means members can now make individual choices about receiving transfusions of the four components from another person.
The organisation said the change follows earlier clarification allowing members to make personal decisions concerning blood fractions and the medical use of their own blood.
Members to make personal decisions
International spokesman Paul Gillies said the organisation continued to regard life and blood as sacred but recognised that decisions involving blood components were matters of individual conscience.
He said local congregations would not interfere in such personal medical decisions.
“Congregations do not involve themselves in personal decisions that rest with the individual conscience. We will continue to respect and support the personal decisions of our fellow believers,” Gillies said.
The organisation also said Jehovah’s Witnesses seek medical treatment and do not practise faith healing.
“Jehovah’s Witnesses love life and want the best available medical care,” the statement said, adding that members seek doctors who can provide effective treatment consistent with their wishes and beliefs.
The organisation said it has more than nine million members in congregations across more than 200 countries and territories.
The latest announcement marks a significant change from the organisation’s previous position, under which members were taught not to accept transfusions of whole blood or its four main components.