Treatment FAQ

what medical treatment is prohibited for jehovah's witnesses

by Lavon Reichert Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it is against God's will to receive blood and, therefore, they refuse blood transfusions, often even if it is their own blood. The willing acceptance of blood transfusions by Jehovah's Witnesses has in some cases led to expulsion from and ostracisation by their religious community.

Full Answer

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept medical treatment?

Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses gladly accept medicine and medical treatment. They want to maintain good health and to prolong life. In fact, like the first-century Christian Luke, some of Jehovah’s Witnesses are physicians. — Colossians 4:14.

Do Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions?

Jehovah's Witnesses are primarily known to physicians for their refusal of blood transfusions. Conflict arises at times with the medical staff concerning how best to manage their care. This article will begin with a brief description of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and will then recommend spec …

Can Jehovah’s Witnesses have abortions or autopsies?

Additionally, those who are Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to have abortions or autopsies without reason. They are, however, allowed to donate organs, receive transplants, vaccines, and serums.

Should Jehovah’s Witnesses be treated with cultural competence?

A hypothetical example of treating a Jehovah’s Witness with cultural competence is in a Grey’s Anatomy episode titled “Bad Blood”. If you’re a fan of Grey’s anatomy, you might remember this particular episode in which a patient who is a Jehovah’s Witness is brought into the hospital.

What are Jehovah Witnesses medical restrictions?

Jehovah's Witnesses abstain from eating the meat of animals from which blood has not been properly drained. They also refrain from eating such things as blood sausage and blood soup. No special preparation is required. The patient can manage his or her own diet within the hospital dietary parameters.

What medical treatment will Jehovah Witnesses refuse?

A small group of patients refuse blood transfusion, usually based on religious beliefs and faith (e.g., Jehovah's witnesses [JW]).

Are Jehovah Witnesses allowed to have surgery?

However, Jehovah's Witnesses do not object to medical or surgical treatments in general, only to the use of blood products. Beyond whole blood and its components are a range of treatments that individual Jehovah's Witnesses may accept or not.

What is forbidden to Jehovah's Witnesses?

The denomination requires adherence to a strict moral code, which forbids premarital sex, homosexuality, gender transitioning, adultery, smoking, drunkenness and drug abuse, and blood transfusions.

What happens if a Jehovah Witness gets a blood transfusion?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that a human must not sustain his life with another creature's blood, and they recognize no distinction "between taking blood into the mouth and taking it into the blood vessels." It is their deep-seated religious conviction that Jehovah will turn his back on anyone who receives blood ...

Can Jehovah Witness do dialysis?

Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, including autologous transfusions in which a person has their own blood stored to be used later in a medical procedure, (though some Witnesses will accept autologous procedures such as dialysis or cell salvage in which their blood is not stored) and the use of packed RBCs ...

Can Jehovah Witness do organ transplant?

Abstract. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions but accept solid organ transplants.

Do Jehovah Witnesses believe in abortion?

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that human life begins at conception and do not therefore approve of abortion. If the termination of a pregnancy is the only means of saving a mother's life, the choice is up to each individual.

Why can't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays?

Practicing Jehovah's Witnesses "do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God" Even though "the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays," the reasoning lies in biblical ideas, according to an FAQ on the Jehovah's Witnesses' official website.

What Jehovah Witness can and Cannot do?

Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas, birthdays, or any holidays with a pagan origin. They are also prohibited from entering into what they consider unclean practices such as receiving blood transfusions, and entering military service is prohibited.

Do Jehovah Witnesses have funeral services?

The Jehovah's Witnesses funeral service is similar to other Christian faiths but lasts only 15 or 30 minutes. The funeral usually takes place within a week after death. At the service, men wear a suit and tie, and women are expected to dress modestly, but neither needs a head covering.

Do Jehovah Witness elders get paid?

The majority of elders are family men and maintain secular employment to support their families. Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a salaried clergy nor any employees.

Why don't we accept blood transfusions?

For example, we don’t accept blood transfusions because the Bible forbids taking in blood to sustain the body. ( Acts 15:20) Likewise, the Bible prohibits health treatments or procedures that include occult practices.—. Galatians 5:19-21.

Does the Bible say that medical treatments conflict with the Bible?

However, the vast majority of medical treatments do not conflict with Bible principles. Therefore, personal choice is involved. One Witness might decide to accept a particular medicine or treatment, while another Witness might reject that same treatment.—. Galatians 6:5.

When treating a child of Jehovah's Witness parents, practitioners should be alive to possible complex family/

When treating a child of Jehovah’s Witness parents, practitioners should be alive to possible complex family/community dynamics. It may be that although the parents cannot openly be seen to encourage their child to consent to a blood transfusion, or to consent on their child’s behalf, they would actually welcome the Minister of Social Development consenting on behalf of their child and/or the practitioner being authorised, in terms of the Children’s Act, to ignore their refusal to consent to a blood transfusion on behalf of their child. If this is suspected, it will facilitate decision-making on the part of the practitioner.

What happens if the treating doctor disagrees with the parents' alternatives?

If the treating doctor disagrees with the parents’ alternatives then, in the absence of an emergency, the decision should be made by the court. In the presence of an emergency the child’s best interests prevail.

How old do you have to be to get medical treatment?

A child who is over the age of 12 years (and who is of sufficient maturity and has the mental capacity to understand the benefits, risks, social and other implications of treatment) may consent to his/her own medical treatment without assistance from a parent.

Can a practitioner refer a patient to another practitioner?

Naturally, the practitioner would have to refer such a patient to another medical practitioner, if the patient still wished to undergo such treatment/surgery despite being aware that his/her refusal to receive a blood transfusion might compromise the outcome of the treatment/surgery. If a practitioner agrees to refrain from administering ...

Can a doctor refuse a blood transfusion?

In an emergency, a medical practitioner may not refuse to treat a patient who refuses a blood transfusion and the patient should accordingly be treated without administering blood. If possible, the consequences of not receiving a blood transfusion should still be explained to the patient.

Can a court order be given before a blood transfusion?

If this person consents to a blood transfusion (in contravention of the patient’s directive), it is advisable to obtain a court order before administering the blood transfusion. In an emergency, when there is no time to obtain a court order, the patient’s wishes should be respected and a blood transfusion should not be administered.

Abstract

A 35-year-old man attempted suicide by a shotgun discharge to his abdomen. Although the patient had been awake, oriented, and conversing about baseball during the emergency medical services ride to the hospital, he made no mention of his religious beliefs. He is bleeding profusely when he arrives at the emergency room (ER).

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