Jehovah’s Witnesses have updated their stance on blood transfusions, now permitting members to have their own blood removed, stored, and “returned” during medical procedures, while maintaining a ban on receiving blood from others.

The move, announced Friday in a video statement by Governing Body member Gerrit Lösch, is designed to give members freedom to make personal decisions about the use of their blood in medical care.

“Regarding the use of one’s own blood…each Christian must decide for himself how his blood will be used in medical and surgical care,” Lösch said.

While the update allows procedures such as autologous transfusions, where a patient’s own blood is removed and then returned, members remain prohibited from receiving blood from donors.

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“Our core belief regarding the sanctity of blood remains unchanged,” a spokesperson said, citing biblical instructions from Noah and the Mosaic Law. “The Bible does not comment on the use of a person’s own blood in medical and surgical care.”

Lösch noted that many members already undergo medical procedures involving their own blood, including blood tests, kidney dialysis, cell salvage devices, and the use of heart-lung machines.

The clarification, he said, simply formalises these practices and recognises personal choice.

“Some Christians may decide that they would allow their blood to be stored and then be given back to them. Others may object. Each Christian must make his personal decision on all matters involving the use of his own blood,” Lösch explained.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian-based religious movement known for its door-to-door evangelism, has around nine million members worldwide, including 144,000 in the UK.

The group has long prohibited blood transfusions, citing biblical commands to abstain from blood.

The update comes amid high-profile cases involving members and medical care.

In December 2025, an Edinburgh court allowed doctors to transfuse blood to a 14-year-old Jehovah’s Witness girl during surgery, overriding her refusal on religious grounds because the procedure was deemed necessary to save her life.