Bioethics and the Demands of Jehovah's Witnesses for Bloodless Treatment

Abstract

  The paper discusses the relationship between Jehovah's Witnesses as a special Christian denomination which is known for refusal of blood transfusion, and bioethics as a relatively new, interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary scientific field which is focused on ethical issues in medicine and the health care system. This relationship is situated in the context of bioethics first principle of autonomy, as one of four basic bioethics principles, and the doctrine of informed consent which arose from this principle.
  The author claims that, due to bioethics, a discriminating position of Jehova's Witnesses has increasingly changed in many countries. Jehovah's Witnesses were denied and in some countries they are still denied - the right to refuse blood transfusion even at the cost of life.
  The author supports his thesis with experiences from Croatia where bioethicists initiated a debate on religious refusal of blood transfusion a few years ago. After that, in Croatian hospitals, the attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses began to change in the sense of understanding and respect for their behaviour.