Owning and using contraceptive devices and pills was not prohibited. However, from 1935, it was illegal to sell or to import them. During this time a loophole was used, where a device such as a condom could not be "offered for sale", but a citizen could be "invited to treat" to buy it. Also people made donations to family planning associations to obtain contraception as a "gift". The reality for almost all of the population was that contraception was unobtainable. Few outlets wanted to stock a product that could bring the attention of the police or public opprobrium.