JW.org Frequently Asked Questions, “Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Accept Blood Transfusions?”
“Myth: Many Witnesses, including children, die each year as a result of refusing blood transfusions. Fact: This statement is totally unfounded. Surgeons regularly perform such complex procedures as heart operations, orthopedic surgery, and organ transplants without the use of blood transfusions. Patients, including children, who do not receive transfusions usually fare as well as or better than those who do accept transfusions. In any case, no one can say for certain that a patient will die because of refusing blood or will live because of accepting it.”
The FAQ opens: ‘This is a religious issue rather than a medical one. Both the Old and New Testaments clearly command us to abstain from blood.’ As read on the access date it explains the refusal of ‘blood transfusions’ with reference to Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10, Deuteronomy 12:23 and Acts 15:28-29, rebuts four ‘myths’ (including the one quoted, on mortality), and does not mention blood components, fractions or the 2026 changes. The 'fare as well as or better' sentence carries footnotes citing The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (vol. 134 no. 2 and vol. 89 no. 6), Texas Heart Institute Journal (vol. 38 no. 5), Basics of Blood Management, Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain (vol. 4 no. 2) and Heart, Lung and Circulation (vol. 19).
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Provenance and verification note for JW.org Frequently Asked Questions, Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Accept Blood Transfusions?
Confidence note. Opened on JW.org on 19 September 2026. The date recorded is the access date because the page is undated; its content may change.
Notes. Re-check periodically; if the FAQ is updated to reflect the 2026 changes, record the change in the corrections log.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-jw-faq-why-no-blood