I had to do that once in Amsterdam for a friend. She stayed in the hotel and took a shower while I went and foraged. And the Dutch speak excellent English, but all the terms I was using were sort of euphemistic, not that I was trying to be vague, just that the English phrases are sort of obscure. Feminine hygiene products. Sanitary napkins. Maxi-pads. I think I finally said, "For women, once a month" and looked rather embarrassed, and the clerk was finally able to understand and help me.