Technically - yes, those terms are generally neutral. They still are, but are less used in direct reference to humans. men and women are the more common terms, male and female more used for animals, biology, etc. IE, I am a man, my pet is a male, I have male genitalia.

However, a particular subsection of people have taken to leaning into that dynamic and referring to women as “females” as a dehumanization tactic, an attempt to make them lesser than, insinuating they’re animals/pets (females instead of women.) Its become common enough of a thing to be a cultural point, so now most people tend to be immediately suspicious of people who do so, at least on the internet.