Yours is a fair question.
Consider that the skin in and around your vagina is much more porous and delicate than your lips. This would help explain why you and millions of people just like you catch the virus between their thighs instead of on their faces.
That's really what I am hoping for. He should have his results back in a few days. Guess I will have a better idea then. This may be a silly question but if he has had it all along how did I contract it genitally from him and not orally first if HSV 1 prefers that area? I'm still having a very hard time wrapping my head around all of this! By the way thank you for such a quick response.
Certainly possible that he cheated and just picked it up.
Much more likely is that he's had HSV1 orally throughout his life and passed it to you 12 years later.
I've had it all my life (since 2nd grade) and have been in a number of relationships that lasted a few years. Currently with the same woman for over 5 years. I've never passed it to anyone's genitals but I had the advantage of knowing what the signs of an impending outbreak are. So you know when to not "roll the dice".
I suspect he will be IgG positive with a high value and if that's the case, presume that he didn't cheat on you at all. That's just my advice.