AP Stylebook updates guidelines to include 'pregnant women,' upsetting both conservatives and liberals

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The Associated Press angered both conservatives and liberals alike after updating its style guidelines to re-include the term "pregnant women."

The AP Stylebook Twitter account announced the update to its guidelines about reporting on abortions and who they affect on Wednesday.

"We now have guidance saying that ‘pregnant women’ or ‘women seeking abortions’ is acceptable phrasing. Phrases like ‘pregnant people’ or ‘people seeking abortions’ are acceptable when you want to be inclusive of people who have those experiences but do not identify as women," the tweet read.

The new guidelines state, "Pregnant women or women seeking abortions is acceptable phrasing. Phrasing like pregnant people or people seeking abortions is also acceptable to include people who have those experiences but do not identify as women, such as some transgender men and some nonbinary people. Use judgment and decide what is most appropriate in a given story. Neutral alternatives like abortion patients are also acceptable, but do not use overly clinical language like people with uteruses or birthing people."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention repeatedly used the term "pregnant people" instead of women. (iStock)

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Twitter users from both sides of the political aisle attacked these new guidelines for refusing to take a stance.

District Media Group founder and president Beverly Hallberg tweeted, "This used to be the no-nonsense guide for news writing. Not anymore."

"AP splitting the baby here," radio host and RedState editor Joe Cunningham joked.

Twitchy managing editor Sam Janney wrote, "So now that Democrats need women to be women again with the whole Roe thing, AP is giving us all permission to say the word women again."

A pregnant woman visiting the doctor.  (iStock)

Sports Illustrated copy chief Julie Kliegman tweeted, "Imagine being this allergic to taking any sort of a stand about language."

"In a recent study on access, 3 percent of Hoosiers seeking abortion care were not women. It is inaccurate to say otherwise, @APStylebook," Indiana Public Broadcasting digital editor Lauren Chapman wrote.

Fellow Sports Illustrated copy editor Sarah Kelly mocked the tweet, writing, "’When you want to be inclusive.’"

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The Associated Press was previously mocked in May for adding the phrase "pregnant people" to inclusive language protocols.

At the time, the guidelines stated, "Phrasing like pregnant people or people who seek an abortion seeks to include people who have those experiences but do not identify as women, such as some transgender men and some nonbinary people. Such phrasing should be confined to stories that specifically address the experiences of people who do not identify as women. See gender, sex and sexual orientation."

AP journo tweets about new AP style guide update concerning "pregnant people." (Twitter)

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Earlier this year, various media outlets as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were also ridiculed for insisting on using the term "pregnant people" instead of women.

Fox News’ Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.