Differences in the impact of health on labour market participation between women and men across age groups are analysed using Jamaican micro data. Although women report higher incidences of poor health, the impact of ill-health is larger for males than females. In contrast to most studies which focus on retirement alone, we find that poor health has a significant effect on the participation decision of both relatively young and old adults. Results are robust to an alternative measure of health status based on activities of daily living. These latter estimates indicate that while any health limitation affects the participation behaviour of males, only severe limitations affect the behaviour of females. Simulations show that the male-female participation gap is not explained by the lower health status of females, but rather the higher ‘return’ to men’s good health. The implications for investment in women’s health is discussed.