I'm Buddhist and my husband is Muslim. He wants our son to be circumcised, he says not just for religious beliefs but also because it's more hygienic. I'm uncomfortable at the thought of having to choose my for my child an elective procedure and to have him go through the pain of circumcision. Any advice?

Religion aside, I'm all for circumcision because there are more benefits than there are negatives with this procedure. Alot of parents choose to circumcise their sons because of hygiene and health reasons. I've known parents who waited till their son is older (7-12 years) for circumcision and it took a longer time to heal and it hurt alot more. In my opinion, circumcising a child young will hurt him less as compared to circumcising them when they are older. Moreover, modern circumcision practices in Singapore (at clinics and hospitals) are relatively low in pain as they use laser techniques instead of the traditional "cutting" method. So if you do choose to circumcise, choose a procedure that is done at a specialised clinic where it is generally safe and pain-free.