Jehovah’s Witnesses Shift Blood Policy, Leave Decision On Four Main Components To Personal Conscience

WARWICK, New York — The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced that members may now decide for themselves, based on personal conscience, whether to accept or donate the four primary components of blood.

The global announcement was made on Friday, September 18, 2026, from the organisation’s World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, and published on its website.

Under the revised position, the decision to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and platelets from another person’s blood is now a matter of personal conscience.

The statement also said each Witness must decide whether or not to donate blood for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions for use by another person.

However, the organisation stressed that its core prohibition remains. “The long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds, a core teaching based on the command to ‘abstain from blood’ (Acts 15:20), is unchanged,” the statement emphasised. 

International spokesman Paul Gillies said blood remains sacred to Witnesses, who regard life and blood as precious gifts from God.

“Blood remains sacred to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who continue to regard life and blood as precious gifts from God. We recognise that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of conscience between each Witness and their God, Jehovah,” Gillies said. 

The organisation described the change as a logical extension of earlier adjustments on blood fractions and the use of a person’s own blood.

“Since the Bible does not comment on such decisions, they are a matter of individual conscience. That same reasoning has now been extended to the four main components of blood.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses reiterated that they value life, do not practise faith healing, and seek the best medical care available, while local congregations will not interfere.

“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 added.

The group, which has more than nine million members in over 200 lands, noted it is grateful for physicians who provide quality care while respecting members’ wishes.

The latest clarification is the second major adjustment in 2026, following a March announcement that allowed individual Witnesses to decide whether their own blood could be removed, stored and returned during surgery or other procedures, while maintaining prohibition on receiving blood from another person.