The Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organisation has announced a significant clarification of its long-standing doctrine on blood use, granting members the freedom to decide whether their own blood can be used during medical procedures.
In a statement delivered via an official video release, a member of the Governing Body, Gerrit Lösch, explained that the adjustment allows individual discretion regarding the storage and reinfusion of one’s own blood during surgery or treatment.
He noted that while the group maintains its core biblical teaching that adherents must abstain from blood, the scriptures do not explicitly address the use of a person’s own blood in medical care.
“Each Christian must decide for himself how his own blood will be handled in the course of a surgical procedure, medical test, or current therapy,” Lösch stated, adding that the decision should be made based on personal faith and conscience.
Under the clarified position, members may choose to permit medical procedures involving their own blood, such as pre-surgical storage and reinfusion, while others may decline based on personal beliefs.
However, the organisation reaffirmed that its long-standing prohibition on transfusions involving another person’s blood remains unchanged. The doctrine, rooted in the biblical directive to abstain from blood, continues to guide members’ stance on transfusion practices.
The development marks a notable shift in the interpretation of medical guidelines within the faith, placing greater emphasis on individual responsibility in life-threatening or complex medical situations, while upholding its foundational religious principles.
