Jehovah's Witnesses & The Rh Factor

Here was a solution to the problem of complete exchange transfusions at birth. Was there a big celebration in Brooklyn? Alas, such was not the case. Because, you see, Rhogam comes from donated plasma, and was therefore forbidden for Jehovah’s Witness women!

In the case of Rhogam, new light didn’t flash up until June of 1974. (See “Questions from Readers” in the Watchtower of June 1, 1974.) Was there a major article to introduce this life saving new light? NO! You will find it buried in a footnote (small print) in the midst of a discussion about serum injections that immunize against disease. Rhogam is not the same thing as a generic immunization. The mother and the baby must be typed and screened in order for the mother to receive Rhogam. It is a blood product prepared specifically for her, and requires a blood draw to determine this. She then has a blood band put on her wrist which is the same as any other blood band that identifies a patient for whom blood has been ordered.

Now that Rhogam has been available for 27 years, Rh sensitization is rare. As a direct result of this, donors have become extremely rare. For example, there are only two women in this large metropolitan area who regularly donate their plasma. Because of the scarcity of this precious fluid, it has become necessary to advertise for donors. I have enclosed a copy of the ad that I found in the local newspaper in the week just before the elders’ scheduled visit.