The Jehovah’s Witnesses announced a policy revision, reported Sept. 19, 2026, that permits members to receive blood-derived products while continuing to prohibit transfusions of whole blood. The organization described this as the second revision this year to its long-standing teaching on blood and medical care. The change allows members more latitude to accept medical treatments that use components derived from donated blood, subject to individual decision-making.
According to the announcement, members may receive medical treatments involving the four primary components of whole blood: plasma, platelets, and red and white blood cells. The policy frames the use of these components as an individual choice: “Each Christian must make his own personal decision about the use of these four primary components in all medical and surgical care,” said Geoffrey W. Jackson, a member of the Governing Body of the organization.
Despite the expanded allowance for blood-derived products, the Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain a prohibition on receiving transfusions of whole blood. The organization also continues to oppose members donating blood for transfusion purposes. The distinction drawn by the Governing Body separates acceptance of blood components from acceptance of whole-blood transfusions, leaving the latter barred under the group’s teaching.
The updated guidance emphasizes personal conscience. Members may decide for themselves whether to accept blood components for medical care. The announcement likewise allows members to decide whether to donate blood that would be used to manufacture blood products for other people. The change frames both acceptance and donation as matters that should be weighed on an individual level.
The policy announced in September follows an earlier revision from March of the same year. In that prior change, the Governing Body authorized members to have their own blood stored for their future medical treatment, while still prohibiting storage of blood for use by others. Together, the two revisions represent incremental changes to a teaching that has been a distinctive and controversial element of the religion for decades.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ opposition to blood transfusions stems from their interpretation of biblical passages instructing believers to “abstain” from blood. While other Jewish and Christian traditions have generally treated the biblical injunction as a dietary rule, the Jehovah’s Witnesses interpret it as extending to medical transfusion. Critics — including former members and some observers — have long faulted the organization for forbidding whole-blood transfusions, arguing that the restriction limits use of a proven, potentially lifesaving therapy and has in some cases contributed to preventable deaths.
Paul Gillies, an international spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, told reporters that members should not make decisions about blood products lightly: “What we’re saying is you have to pray about it, you have to study it, you have to see what the Bible has to say about it, because blood in the Bible represents life,” he said, adding that members need to consider these factors before reaching a decision.
The article outlines common clinical indications for the major blood components that the new policy permits. According to the American Red Cross, plasma is often used for patients with trauma or certain diseases. Red blood cells are used to treat conditions such as anemia. White blood cells may be used in some treatments for infection, and platelets are employed in certain cancer therapies and other clinical situations where platelet function or counts are compromised. These component-based therapies can be targeted to specific clinical needs, which differs from the use of whole-blood transfusions intended to replace large-volume blood loss.
Jehovah’s Witnesses emerged in 19th-century America and share many Christian beliefs with other churches while differing on theological issues such as the nature of Jesus and biblical prophecy. The organization reported a U.S. membership of 1.3 million in 2025 and a worldwide membership of 9.2 million across more than 200 countries and territories. The policy statement and the comments from the Governing Body and the organization’s spokesperson reflect an approach that preserves core religious convictions about blood while granting members expanded personal discretion over accepting certain blood-derived medical treatments.