The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has updated its guidance on blood components. According to an official statement released from the organization’s World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, on September 18, 2026, individual members may now decide for themselves whether to accept or donate the four main components of blood—red cells, white cells, plasma, and platelets—based on personal conscience.
The organization emphasized that its long-standing position against whole-blood transfusions remains unchanged. That stance continues to rest on the biblical command to “abstain from blood” (Acts 15:20).
Paul Gillies, international spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, stated: “Blood remains sacred to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who continue to regard life and blood as precious gifts from God. We recognize that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of conscience between each Witness and their God, Jehovah.”
The statement notes that the adjustment builds on earlier clarifications regarding blood fractions and the use of a person’s own blood during medical procedures. Because the Bible does not specifically address decisions about the four primary components, the organization now treats them as matters of individual conscience, applying the same reasoning previously used for fractions and autologous blood.
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Jehovah’s Witnesses stated that they value life and seek quality medical care. They do not practice faith healing and look for doctors who can provide effective treatment consistent with members’ wishes, values, and beliefs. Local congregations will not involve themselves in these personal decisions, according to Gillies: “We will continue to respect and support the personal decisions of our fellow believers. We are grateful, too, for the many skilled and compassionate physicians who provide quality medical care that respects our personal wishes regarding blood.”
The organization reports more than nine million members worldwide in congregations across more than 200 lands.
This follows a March 2026 clarification that allowed individual Witnesses to decide whether their own blood could be removed, stored, and returned during medical treatment, while maintaining the prohibition on receiving blood from another person.
Source: Official statement from Jehovah’s Witnesses World Headquarters, published on jw.org (September 18, 2026). Readers should consult the original announcement and qualified medical professionals for decisions involving health care.
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