World Journal of Transplantation, “Review of abdominal solid organ transplantation in Jehovah’s Witness patients”
“may result in the immediate and very temporary prolongation of life, but at the cost of eternal life for a dedicated Christian”
The review quotes this 1961 Watch Tower statement about transfusion, and its Table 1 (policy as of 2019) lists red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma as ‘generally not acceptable’ and fractions such as clotting factors, immunoglobulins and cryoprecipitate as matters of individual conscience. It reports outcomes from small transplant series and concludes there are ‘no absolute contraindications to abdominal organ transplantation’ for Witness patients who meet fitness criteria.
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Provenance and verification note for World Journal of Transplantation, Review of abdominal solid organ transplantation in Jehovah’s Witness patients
Confidence note. Opened on PubMed Central on 19 September 2026. The 1961 quotation is a secondary citation within this peer-reviewed review; the original Watchtower page is recorded separately in the ledger where it has been opened.
Notes. Useful as an independent, pre-2026 statement of which components were prohibited.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-pmc-2019-figueiredo